Forced Into Marriage
by ColdheartedBastard
Summary: Sakura's working for Sasuke Uchiha's company. One day he comes to find her and wants her something to do for him. If she declines, she will be fired...    SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey guys! So, this is my first story. Please go easy on me ;) I got the idea of the fanfiction as I watched "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. I love this film, btw. I just wanted you to know that I won't write it like the film was. It's my own version :) Have fun reading it!

*edit: I've updated the first chapter. Hope you like it! The chapters 2-4 will also be updated soon :)

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**Chapter 1  
**

She looked once more at the text message and then started to run all the way to her boss' office. It was a whole hallway down from where she was. She nearly bumped into a colleague who had coffee in his hands, but fortunately she could avoid him.

Then, when she was at her goal, she collided with a hard muscular chest which happened to belong to her boss. Fearing to get glared at she hastily bowed and apologized to him but didn't look into his eyes.

Everyone knew that his everyday-glare was as cold as ice. She knew it best because she was his secretary but she still wasn't used to the feeling of being hated by him. Of course, she didn't get special treatment. He glared at everyone but she was his secretary and she was the one who was at his side most of the time.

Sakura seemed to be the only one who had wanted the job because it didn't just include being a secretary but also more of a servant, actually. This was what the others called her, anyway. Either that or "slave". Not particularly nice but she could live with that because her salary was fine and she wanted to improve. She wanted to learn and where did she do so better than at the Uchiha's when her boss was the most difficult person she had ever met?

After apologizing hastily, she ran into her office which was opposite of his, but soon came out again. She'd totally forgotten why she came here. Apparently, it was his bureau she wanted to go in and not hers.

"You wanted to talk to me, Sir?" she questioned him softly, but with a hint of fear in her voice, which didn't go unnoticed by the man before her.

So, she hated his guts because he was really rude and he seemed to be annoyed by everything she did, although he was slightly amused by her clumsiness.

Only _slightly_.

Anyway, she often was angry at him but his looks were really amazing.

He looked like a god to her but she would never ever admit that out loud. With his raven hair and his pale, soft skin and his six packs - yeah she had seen him once but that was an accident - and his tall body he looked like a model. But what fascinated her most about him were his onyx eyes that seemed to catch hers and never let go again every time she would look at him. She had to fight the feeling away that wanted her to drown in his black orbs. Although she admired his whole body, she couldn't help but mind his character.

Every normal human being wouldn't want to involve themselves with him if they had talked to him at least once but every girl seemed to fall in love at first sight with him and even some men couldn't fight the urge to ogle at him.

Oh, how much she despised those people, who didn't even care about his character as long as they could stare at him.

Though, she had to admit, she never wanted anything else than to ogle at him herself but she knew if she had done something like that, she would have been jobless in no time because her boss didn't like people who stared at him or threw themselves on him like they were his girlfriends or something.

It really disgusted him. And her. He caught her off guard as he walked past her, straight into her office.

His glare was directed to the window behind her desk. He was as quiet as one could be and it was disturbing her.

She was following him in, her eyebrows twitching vexedly, sat down on her seat and stared at the wall on her left side.

She looked anywhere but his eyes. After a couple of minutes she couldn't stand the eerie silence anymore that was kept in her office, so she decided to break it.

"So… What do you need, Sir?", was her formal question. She always spoke politely to him, even if she was angry at him.

Sometimes though she would glare at his back, when she thought he wasn't watching. It took a huge effort to hold back the rude comments that lay on her tongue but she could do it and that was all she needed.

She wanted the job and the only condition was to respect - more like worship, really - the boss. If you're not able to, you get the sack. She'd been here almost a year but before her, there had been a whole lot more secretaries. They hadn't last very long.

"I… have an important requirement," he answered harshly. She nearly jumped as the coldness of his voice rang in her ears. It wasn't that she was sensitive but in a way she hated it how coldly he looked at her. She wanted him to be nice to her, to treat her not as a servant but more like… a friend.

His glare shifted towards her which caused goose bumps on her whole body. There he went again but she couldn't say anything so she nodded for him to go on.

Her eyes shone with confusion which didn't go unnoticed by him, like it never did.

"My visa is running out. I will get deported if I do not…," he began to explain darkly but he paused.

Sakura assumed that he was searching for the right words or could he be embarrassed about something? No, that was impossible. This was Uchiha Sasuke, after all.

A shiver was sent down her spine as she nervously awaited the end of his sentence. Why was he talking to her like this? What did he want to say and what did he want from her? Was she the only one who could help him or was it because she was his secretary? His glare intensified and she got the feeling he would explode any moment now.

But Sasuke Uchiha never exploded. He always held back his anger, his disapproval of things. He forced himself to stay calm and sort things out properly.

"…if I do not marry a woman of this country," he spat out.

The rosette winced. She had never heard him talk like this before. Why was he so angry? Was it that bad to marry someone? Did he hate the idea of being with someone? Did he hate being with her now?

Sure, he was a coldhearted man and wasn't one to talk softly like a mother to her child… But he never reacted this way before. It really had to be bad for him.

She could understand him a little if she thought about the consequences of this marriage. The unfortunate woman would be destroyed because her boss wasn't exactly what you call nice. And she would not have the chance to marry the love of her life because Sasuke Uchiha would never ever fall for any woman.

At these sad thoughts her eyes closed a bit but suddenly they widened in realization. She looked up in his face, fear and confusion showing on her own.

"Why… are you telling me this? I mean… You do not really… mean…?", she whispered.

He stayed silent. His eyes watched hers. His anger seemed to have vanished over his curiosity and her reaction didn't go unnoticed by him. Her eyes widened even more now at his unavailable answer. Her breath got caught and her mouth opened. This time she couldn't stop herself.

"No! Don't say that I'm this woman you're talking about! Never! This can't be! And you can't do that! Not to me!", she shouted.

Her politeness was gone now. But she didn't care. It wasn't worth it. The job wasn't worth her freedom. She couldn't care less about it. She'd find another, wouldn't she? It _was_ kind of difficult but she _would _find one, right?

She would never marry this coldhearted bastard. "Never…", she whispered. He stayed calm. And suddenly she noticed a strange glint in his eyes. She stood up and shook her head violently. This was bad. He definitely had some ace up his sleeve.

"You have to. You know that I am able to destroy your life, Haruno. If you do not accept, I will definitely ruin you," he promised.

Her widened eyes seemed to fade. She turned around and looked out the window. Her hands were shaking and tears threatened to leave her eyes.

Her brain worked fast but it just wouldn't find a solution. She just wanted to do whatever she had been doing the whole last years. She wanted to be a secretary but he really could ruin her life. For him it'd be as easy as snapping his fingers. Sakura knew now that he just had to manipulate other employers into thinking that she was the worst secretary there was.

She had never thought about something like this. She had always had the feeling that her life was ideal the way it was and it would never change. Now she knew she'd been wrong. Life _was _unfair. Sakura had always been one who knew that best but lately her life had turned towards the good side and she'd gotten caught up in this dreamlike life. Now she woke up abruptly as if somebody had dumped a bucket of ice cold water into her face.

She remembered again how cruel life could be. Or dare she say, how cruel Uchiha Sasuke could be. She had never thought of him that way. She'd always disliked him a little but nevertheless had she searched for the good sides of him.

Now, however, every hope vanished. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't human, was he? Had she been wrong all the time when she thought that he _did _have a gentle side but never showed it?

How could he do something like that to her, when she had always been helping him and his company? When she'd been treated as a slave by other colleagues? When she'd handled every challenges he threw at her?

Did he really not care about people's feelings? Her feelings? Did he… hate her? She had seen the death glare he had sent her way. It hadn't been the usual glare but a lot stronger and more… hateful.

Maybe he really hated her. Though, who was she to blame him? She hated him, too, didn't she?_ Now more than ever._

Sakura wiped the tearstains away bluntly and turned around. Her pink locks flew around wildly but she didn't care.

She went straight to the door and turned the knob. Unfortunately, her nervous and shaking movements made it hard for her to turn it correctly and easy for Sasuke to stop her hands.

She didn't dare to look him in the eyes but his words stung more than any glare of his.

"I do not care about you. Either you leave this instant or you deal with the fact that you are engaged," he snarled at her.

Seconds later he was out the door and in his office. Sakura was standing still and wasn't able to move. She was frozen in place but her inner self was in chaos. She closed the door that was still standing open since Sasuke had left.

She breathed slowly and turned towards her bureau. Suddenly sickness overcame her and she rushed out the door.

Searching for a toilette, she avoided curious and worried workmates. Before she could even reach the door handle, a hand shot out and grabbed her hair violently.

A pissed redhead glared hard at her and bore her nails in Sakura's skin. An unwanted painful scream left her mouth. Now _what_?

"You slut!" the redhead spat out disgustedly. "How dare you!" Sakura grabbed the hand of her opponent and tore it away from her neck. She really needed to go to the washroom.

Long manicured nails scratched her skin and soon blood began to leave the wound. Sakura hissed in pain and pressed a hand on the scratch.

Looking up, she saw Karin's face which was pale. Her eyes rested on Sakura's figure and her anger increased. She was furious; Karin was standing beside herself with rage. And the anger was directed towards Sakura.

Sakura closed her eyes and leaned against the wall beside her. She couldn't stand properly, the sickness was still there. Her knees trembled, they'd give away any moment now.

Suddenly a fist collided with her stomach which got her coughing. Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. How could Karin do that without batting an eye? Did she really just punch her in the gut?

She feared what could happen next because she knew she wouldn't be able to stop the redhead.

She was sick and her body threatened to collapse any moment. Shutting her eyes, she wrapped her arms around her abdomen.

A slap in the face burned on her cheek, reddening it. Following right after came a kick in the leg, which got the rosette to fall on her knees.

Nobody dared to say anything; everyone knew how much power Karin had. She could fire _anyone_. Nevertheless, how could they just watch and not help her? How could they shut their eyes and walk away? She'd never be such a coward.

The bystanders fled to their offices after they received a hard glare from Karin. However, one person didn't obey her wishes.

It was Tenten, Sakura's friend, who stood at the end of the corridor. She was horrified of the scene she took in. It didn't last long, though.

Anger overtook her and she shouted in rage. "Fire! Fire!," were the only words that left her mouth.

Disbelief reflected in the green eyes of Sakura. How would that help her?

_Everyone_ had seen her and _everyone_ ran away. Nobody was going to come to see what was going on. "What is going on here?," was the prompt question.

She recognized his voice even before he finished the sentence. She shook with fear as she looked up, directly in his eyes.

He saw her trembling, bloody lip, her pale face, her faded green eyes. He saw her blood on her face and everything went blank for him.

Anger overtook the calmness as he stormed forwards to her body. He caught her in time as she fell to the side, coughing hard.

He held her in his arms, her sight faded and Sasuke's face disappeared eventually. She fell unconscious and didn't hear him say to Tenten that she had to call an ambulance.

Neither did she hear him yell at Karin that she was fired, nor did she feel his cold hand stroke her cheek for a second.

* * *

When Sakura awoke to the sound of the beeping instrument - that told her how fast her heart was bumping – she could feel the headache creeping up. She groaned and held her head within her hands. As she was doing that an ugly pain shot through her neck.

She had forgotten that there was a long and deep scratch in it. And her movement made it even worse. She hissed painfully and then sighed annoyed. Hesitantly she opened her eyes.

However, what she saw next let her wish she wouldn't have done it.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hello there! Here I am with the next chapter and I hope you guys will like it!

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**Chapter 2**

Pain shot through her cheek as the same feminine hand landed on her skin. She gritted her teeth so she wouldn't let out a painful sound. She glared at the redhead standing in front of her hospital bed.

She clenched her fists and spat out the next word with disgust. "Karin." Sakura paused. "What do you want?," she growled.

"Well…", Karin began. She looked at her manicured fingernails provocatively. "I want Sasuke, but I suppose you already knew that," she laughed in a high-pitched voice.

She took a step forward and bent down towards Sakura. Her face was so close to hers that Sakura could feel Karin's breath on her face. "Stay away from him or I'll make sure you'll never be able to walk again!" she whispered in a threatening voice.

"Well, _Karin-chan._ I don't know about you but I think the kindergarten is not far away from here," the rosette smiled.

Karin clenched her fist angrily. She grabbed Sakura's hair again and pulled her forwards. "Don't think so highly of yourself! You'll see what you get from talking to me like that, you whore!" she shouted.

Sakura didn't listen to her, she was trying to get her hair out of Karin's claws. Helpless, she reached out for the button beside her bed.

She needed help before this fury in front of her could do more harm than she already did…

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The Uchiha leaned on a wall in the waiting room. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed so no one would get the idea of talking to him.

He wasn't quite sure why he was still in the hospital. He had taken Sakura there about an hour ago. He had drunken nearly four cups of coffee and had been waiting for a doctor or a nurse to come and tell him what was wrong with Sakura.

But nothing had happened so far. He was just about to go home, when he heard loud voices talking nervously. He opened his eyes in time to see two nurses rushing into the room where Sakura had been taken earlier.

He raised an eyebrow; on the outside uncaring, on the inside wondering what that was about. He didn't worry about Sakura, but something nagged him.

When he heard someone talking about a redhead being in the patient's room, he knew what was up. Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and walked into Sakura's room.

There she was, surrounded by the two nurses who tried to get a pissed off Karin away from the Haruno. When his former assistant caught sight of him, she let go of Sakura and smiled innocently at her ex-boss.

"Sasuke-kun! What a coincidence! I wanted to talk to you about that incident! You see, Sakura here…," she explained sheepishly. She glared at Sakura warningly from the corner of her eyes. "…and I were just playing this funny game… You see, we're best friends and I wanted to ask you to cancel that unnecessary quitting thing of mine…," she laughed.

Sasuke stood there, unmoved by her words, with his stoic expression. A sudden scream drew his attention to Sakura.

"Get the fuck away from me! How dare you say we're best friends when you tried to kill me only about an hour and a half ago?" she shouted angrily.

"I think you know what the answer to your question is, Karin," he said with his deep masculine voice that sent a shudder down Sakura's spine.

She looked at him and studied his calm expression. His dark onyx eyes were slightly narrowed at Karin, but other than that, she saw no emotions.

It frightened her a little bit, although she had known his bad character for half a year now. Suddenly they made eye-contact. Sakura seemed to choke on her own spit.

His death glare was now directed at her and she couldn't handle it in her state. Normally she would have ignored it or responded with an unimpressed look. Though, now it was a completely different situation.

Anyway, why was he still looking at her this way? She was in a hospital and hurt and the only thing that came to his mind was trying to kill her with his intense glaring.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" she asked sarcastically.

"I had rather you speak not in that way with me, Haruno. I could fire you any moment, do you understand the meaning of that?" he replied with his cold voice.

"And _I _had rather you don't talk to me like I'm a little child!" she whispered in her nonexistent beard.

"What was that?" he asked her harshly.

"None of your business, Uchiha," she shot back. She didn't know what overcame her. Maybe it was because he blackmailed her? She didn't know, but she definitely knew that she hated him.

He was such an asshole, she couldn't stand it anymore. She just wanted to punch him in the face and kick him in his genital area. It was best if he never had children anyway… They would probably be just like him. One could never be too sure.

"I assume you would prefer it if I fired you this instant. Am I wrong?" he coldly replied.

Sakura let her eyes rest on the blanket. "It's not my decision, really. Do what you want, because _I_ can't. You're the boss; I'm just some unimportant company employee. If you've got some satisfaction out of destroying my life, I'm sure you wouldn't back away from firing me," she said bitterly.

Everyone was stunned, except for the Uchiha, of course. He just looked at her sad face and nodded, accepting. "You are right. I would fire you without hesitance. But I will not do that, if you are willing to accept my… 'offer'," he explained calmly.

All she wanted to do at this moment was to punch this guy in his damn good-looking face! But she couldn't do that. Anger filled her body as she glared at him.

How could he just stand there and say things like that? Wasn't he human? Did he not understand what he was doing to her?

Uchiha Sasuke was just so cruel to her. Life was cruel to her.

What did she do to deserve this? What the hell did she do to have to fucking _marry_ this devil! Now that she thought about it, she couldn't imagine it.

How would life be with such a … coldhearted bastard? Would they have to sleep in the same bed? Would they have to … kiss? Or something even worse?

They would be just pretending but what would they have to do _exactly_? Would he be nice to her? No, she couldn't imagine it.

"Haruno. Your answer," he demanded. She was thrown out of her thoughts about the future. She was going to live in hell.

She wasn't quite sure if she would be able to survive something terrifying like that. "I… _accept_, if you promise that you will do your best to be at least friendly to me," she answered quietly.

She'd calmed down, eventually, Sasuke thought. Satisfied with her answer, he nodded to her and was about to leave the room afterwards.

Karin had been standing there all the time, shock spread all across her face. "Wait! Sasuke-kun, you can't do that!" she cried desperately.

"And why is that?" he deadpanned.

"Because!" she cried. "Uhm, because she's a bitch! You can't trust someone like her and even marry her and…! Why, oh why, does she have to be the one who's going to marry you!" she shouted. "I'm much better than her! I'm sexy and beautiful and I'm not fat like her-!" she rambled.

"HEY!" Sakura interrupted her. How was this even possible? A twenty-five year old woman was crying in front of her and insulting her.

Was she really a grown-up woman? Or was this just a young fangirl in the body of some redhead? Well, she wasn't able to voice out her thoughts. In less than a second she was thrown out of the bed. She landed on the floor – head on.

A loud thud could be heard. A painful moan of Sakura followed soon, and then everything went still. Suddenly Karin began to laugh hysterically. She laughed louder and louder until Sakura stood up.

Right after the redhead realized what situation she was in, a fist collided with her cheek. She shrieked and held her cheek carefully.

Sakura glared daggers at her, before she readied herself for another strike. "Stop it, woman!" was everything Sasuke said.

He grabbed the rosette's arms and held them behind her back. Another painful groan left her lips. Sasuke glared hard at Karin.

"You. Out. Haruno is here because of you. Do not dare to harm her any more than you already did. Understood?" he warned Karin in a dangerous low voice.

"But Sasuke-kun!" she began.

"Out!" he growled at her. In less than a second she was out the door. "You too," he said to the nurses, who stood there frozen in their place.

It annoyed him that they had seen everything but he couldn't change that fact now, could he?

"Now to you, Haruno," he shifted towards the stiffen Sakura.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait! And sorry for the length of the chapter. It's really short, I know. But I'll make up for it with the next chapter. I'll try to make it longer. ;)

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**Chapter 3**

Sakura shut her eyes and sighed exhaustedly. She turned towards Sasuke and then muttered in a tired voice, like she was hundreds of years old.

"Just let go of me now, I won't do anything, okay?" He just nodded and gave her arms free. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she mumbled.

Sakura sat on her bed again and watched Sasuke's expressionless face. He sure had a good poker face. However, she knew that mask could crumble. Sasuke directed his eyes at her, his glare increasing.

"You know, someone like you should not dare to get involved in fights. Neither should you speak to me in that kind of tone… ever again. Understood?"

Sakura gulped. Her fingers fidget nervously. "I understand. However, I can't help my temper, you know. It was your choice to marry me. It's your own fault…," she said calmly.

"I see. Though, I have to warn you, Haruno. Your job is hanging by a thread." Sakura nodded, she knew that already.

Why couldn't he leave her alone? Did he have to go and threaten her like that? What kind of human was he, anyway? Was he even human?

She laughed humorlessly. He just had to say one thing and she'd do anything for him. That was just so funny… _Not_.

She sweatdropped. What was she even thinking about? "What… should I do?" she whispered.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked uninterested.

"Well, we'll have to act like a couple, won't we? I mean, you're not just going to treat me like a secretary or something, right?"

She blushed slightly. What was she doing now, trying to play his lover? She suddenly realized that she had been talking to him informally for quite a time now.

Sasuke stepped in front of her bed and bent down. His onyx eyes were fixed on her emerald ones. And his lips… drew up into a seductive smirk.

Her eyes widened at that. What was he doing? "Don't tell me… you're afraid, Sa-ku-ra?" he whispered in a husky voice.

Her name was stretched in a kind of seductive way. Her breath hitched. A thought crossed her mind. Since when did he talk to her in this informal way?

And since when did he smirk or speak in a seductive voice? "S-Sasuke…," she stuttered. Was he okay with being called by his first name by her?

He didn't say anything, though, so it had to be okay. "What?" He leaned in and was just about to kiss her forcefully – so it seemed - when she pushed him away.

"What the hell!" she blurted out.

"Oh my… Are you shy? Haven't had a boyfriend yet, huh?" he smirked.

She narrowed her eyes at him and immediately began to defend herself. "That's not it! I've got plenty. But that's not important now. Anyway, why did you try to kiss me? Are you some kind of psychopath? Because you're not someone to do this kind of thing!"

He groaned annoyed. "Shut up. You're now my fiancée so I can do whatever the hell I want! And now stop looking at me like I'm going to murder you. Really, it's just so annoying…"

Sakura sat up and rubbed her temples. "Got it. You know, I'm pretty tired… So, can you just leave now?" she muttered.

"No," he declined. She looked quite confused. "What? Why not?" she wanted to know.

"Karin. She's still here, although she tries to hide herself. She doesn't know that I know that. She's still waiting for me to leave because she'll get a chance to-," he explained.

"Okay, okay! I get it. Just be quiet and let me sleep. And don't watch me with that cold look on your face. It gives me the creeps," she said.

Somehow she felt like a teenage girl talking to her close friend. Though she knew that wasn't the case here. "Hn," was his answer.

_Back to the coldhearted bastard he is, huh?,_ Sakura thought. She sighed resigning. He would never change, would he?

"And Sakura…," he began once again. She nodded acknowledging. "Yeah? What is it?" Sasuke seemed to think about what he was going to say next.

"I think it's better when we just act as if we're close. For example… We should talk to each other more friendly and…"

Sakura interrupted him softly. "I know, Sasuke. You know, sooner or later we're going to have to kiss in front of others… As proof that we're really together. But could we just talk about this when I get home?" she asked with a reassuring smile on her face.

"Ah...that… You're moving in with me," he declared.

Her smile disappeared slowly while she kept gaping at him.

* * *

_Hey hey!_

_Glad you guys liked the first two chapters! And thanks for all those reviews (:_

_Well, __StupidMe __asked if it was based on the movie "The Proposal". It's true, I got the idea from it but I'm not too sure about my version. I think I'll make my own version of it, with my very own fantasy. However, maybe I'm going to put some scenes from the movie in it. _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Oh my gosh! I'm sooo sorry! I made you wait for too long but I really had enough stress with my school things so I hadn't had the time to write up until now. And I couldn't really make it longer as I promised so I'm twice as sorry! Tomorrow, my summer break begins so I'll definitely write a lot more and I hope that I can make progress. My story sucks because my chapters are too short but I hope I can improve them. So until then, support me with all your might!

Ahh, before I forget: Does anyone have too much freetime? Because I really need a beta reader! I hope someone will help me because I don't know a single person here :/

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**Chapter 4**

"What! You never said we had to-," She tried to stay calm but she was just so surprised that she couldn't control herself.

"It's necessary. Do you think they'd believe us being together when we're not at least living together?" he said unmoved.

"But I can't! We can't! That's not how it's supposed to be! I mean, yesterday I was just your secretary and now I'm your fiancée who's going to move in with you! This can't be happening! You've gotta be kidding me!" she shouted.

It would be quite logic if she'd thought it over; however, she hadn't wasted a single thought about that matter.

He stood up from his seat and walked over to her bed. He lifted his hand and put it over her mouth so quickly that she couldn't have possibly prevented him from doing that.

"Calm down, Sakura. It's not like I'm going to do anything to you," he reassured her.

She grabbed his hand and tried to free her mouth but he didn't give in. He was just too strong for her. Her emerald eyes watched him. She was tired but she wanted answers. And she wanted them quick.

"Listen. We're going to discuss this further but not yet. You're sleepy, so rest a little bit. It's not like I'm going to run away from you," he said to her in a kind of soft voice that she hadn't heard before.

Sakura nodded acceptingly and he released her mouth. She looked him in the eyes and was trapped almost instantly. They were slightly shining, his beautiful black orbs that held so much secrets in it. He was mysterious and she began to want to know more about him.

"Why me?" she asked suddenly. She wanted to know so badly why he chose her over the others.

"Because you're the only one that…," he began hesitantly.

"…that?" she whispered as if it was something that only she was allowed to hear.

"…that isn't all over me. You don't like me and I don't have to worry that you'll jump on me in my sleep. That's why," he growled.

The rosette nodded, although she was quite sure that he'd intended to say something else at first. She wanted to find out really bad but it was already obvious that she'd possibly never get to know.

"I guess you have a point there," she smiled softly. "But it's not like I don't like you or something… I mean, you're my boss and-," she tried to hide her true feelings.

He threw an expressionless look at her and she felt a slight pain in her chest. He couldn't have seen through her, could he?

"Don't lie. I know you hate me, so don't bother hiding it. It's not like I care," he shrugged. "Maybe it's even better than to be admired by fangirls."

Sakura had a bad feeling about this. Somehow she felt… guilty? That he didn't have a single person whom he could talk with. She knew he didn't bother about love but was it okay for him to be this lonely?

"Sasuke…," she whispered in a sad tone. He looked up but didn't answer. "Are you… lonely?" she blushed, embarrassed. She didn't mean to ask such an intimate question, so she looked away from him.

He stared at the floor, thinking about her question. His raven hair hung down and it almost seemed as if he was a little child, crying for himself.

"You know, I never said that you could ask such a thing. Not even when we're pretending. So shut your mouth and don't interfere with my life," he said in a dangerous low voice.

Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped quietly. She hit a sensitive spot there, didn't she? "God, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so impolite. Please forgive me, I shouldn't have asked this…," she apologized.

The Uchiha stood up and threw one last glare towards her. And before she knew it… she was alone in her room once again.

But didn't he say before that Karin was still around waiting for Sasuke to leave so she could attack Sakura once more? She couldn't even blink with the eye, so soon did Karin stand next to her bed.

Sakura widened her eyes in horror as she watched the redhead who was taking out a pocketknife. She sure as hell was going to hurt Sakura but Sasuke had to be near.

"Sasuke!" she shouted instantly. The red-haired fury shut Sakura's mouth with her hand and glared hard at her.

She looked outside but the Uchiha wasn't anywhere near. A smirk grew on her lips as she watched the struggling rosette. Oh, how weak she was. She couldn't even slap her hand away.

"You get it now? You don't talk to me like I'm a fucking whore! You'll see what you get from being so cocky!" she shouted in a high-pitched voice.

"Didn't I already tell you to fuck off, Karin? You're just as annoying as ever," a low voice spoke.

Sakura felt relieved after she recognized the familiar growl. The Uchiha hadn't left her after all, he was right behind Karin. And before Karin could hurt her, the knife was snatched out of her hand and hidden in Sasuke's jacket.

"I don't like to repeat myself but would you just get out of here once and for all?" the black haired man said in a threatening voice.

The angry scowl on Karin's face grew but she surrendered nevertheless and left the hospital. Letting out a stressed sigh, Sasuke put a chair beside the rosette's bed and took a seat.

"Are you alright?" he asked somehow concernedly, while glaring at her. She wondered how he could make such a face. All the time that she had known him, he had worn this cold mask.

However, since he had told her about their engagement, he'd shown her a lot of other expressions mixed with a cold glare.

"I'm fine…" she whispered exhaustedly. She didn't feel that well, in fact. And it was as if he saw right through her. He glared warningly at her and she sighed almost annoyed. "I don't want to-" His glare intensified.

She met his deathglare with her own glare. "I'm just kinda – god, don't glare at me like that! You asked yourself, so listen to me until the end! – I'm sort of… kinda… like… I got it already! Stop it now!" she shouted at him.

He looked her in the eyes and she almost thought his eyes softened a bit. Or did she see correctly there? "Just spill it already, Sakura." The rosette backed a little away from him and averted her gaze from him.

"Yesterday, everything was normal, how it was supposed to be. I was just your secretary, nothing more, nothing less. And now I'm engaged to you and after I get released I'll move in with you. And I even got hurt because of that! Don't I have the right to feel this way?"

Sasuke sat still and didn't say anything. He wanted her to go on.

"Look, think about my situation for a bit, won't you? What do I get out of ,marrying' you? You don't talk to me like I'm really your lover, you just force me to do anything for you by blackmailing me. Until we're ,divorced' I won't be happy because we're both not in love with each other and what if I fall in love with some guy but am married to you? And do you ever think about what we have to do? We have to make those people believe that we're really in love, right? How do we do that? We have to learn more about each other and I don't think we're getting away without having kissed in public and-" she ranted.

"Calm down. To be honest, I've thought about your situation before. And even if I said that I don't care, I'm sorry," he murmured.

Sakura's eyes widened at that. Did he just say that he was sorry? _The _Uchiha Sasuke was sorry? She shook her head, there had to be something wrong with her ears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that…," she breathed.

Sasuke's lips drew up slightly. "Whatever. Go to bed."

The Haruno scowled huffily. Inwardly, however, she was a bit cheered up.

* * *

_Here I am with a new chapter, even if it's really short. I'm sorry I broke the promise but I just couldn't wait any longer... Forgive me._

_Well, I won't say much because I've got nothing to say but I'm extremely happy to have gotten those lovely reviews even if it's not much :) It means a lot to me!_

_Thanks for all your lovely reviews! I'm really glad you all like my story. It pains me that my chapters are so short but when my story is completed, I will try to change some things and make it better. And in my breaktime I'll work hard for a very long chapter. I just hope that someone wants to be my beta so I get supported. I really need that because I'm an amateur at writing english fanfictions. I've always just written in German... Well, we'll see, ne? ;)_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Yes, I'm back! I'm as glad about that as you are... I hope. This time, something good happens and the chapter is a tweeny bit longer than the formers. I hope you enjoy reading it. Yeah, so I won't be doing that disclaimer thing and the other infos anymore. I don't think it's necessary, do you?

Reviews will be answered soon but I can't promise anything. You'll just have to be patient with me ;)

* * *

**Chapter 5  
**

The next morning Sakura awoke with burning pain in her body. She growled into her pillow, then rubbed her eyes and got up slowly. She looked around her and widened her eyes to the scene in front of her.

A soft gasp escaped her lips. Sasuke had spent the whole night in her room, sleeping in a big chair. _That idiot! He must be freezing to death_, she thought to herself.

Sakura ignored the screaming pain of her wounds and walked over to where Sasuke sat. Suddenly she started to shake his shoulders, softly, but he didn't react to it at all.

"Damned Uchiha…," she swore. Sakura walked back to her bed and tore the blanket away from it, so she could put it on the sleeping man. After she had done this motherly job, she went over to the window and sat on the sill. It was cold but she ignored it like she did with the pain.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and slung her arms around her knees which she held to her body. She let her mind wander as she sat there in silence, tired and confused.

She thought about a future with Sasuke Uchiha. What would it be like? She imagined him in his neatly organized bureau, sitting in a comfortable chair in front of his desk, studying some important papers and take notes once in a while. He'd be just the same as he was now, busy with his work and dutiful. He'd drink half a dozen cups of coffee and work until late at night. Would she lie awake in their bed and wait for him? Sakura blushed at the thought of that.

She'd used to fantasize about her marriage since early childhood and never stopped even now. To think that she would end up with her boss in a loveless marriage… Well, at least she didn't have to worry about dying alone in a house full of cats like her mother used to say.

She let out an unfeminine snort. So there _was_ something good about marrying the Uchiha. She wouldn't have thought that. Not that she despised him or anything. She had said that to him but in her heart, she always knew that he was something else. Her eyes had watched him whenever he turned away from her, not knowing about the emerald eyes trying to figure him out. She had learned a lot about him and it had surprised her but not at all in a negative way. In the contrary, Sakura's heart had raced when she had learned about him taking care of his hospitalized parents.

Sakura hadn't known that Sasuke's parents were in a coma from an accident – she hadn't even thought that he had family because he always seemed so lonely. She'd noticed the non-existent phone calls people normally got from family. Well, you could suspect that they phoned his house phone but she always had that strange feeling about him. Like he felt that somehow he had to take care of everything on his own.

"You alright?" murmured a low voice behind her.

She flinched and sprang down from the sill. When she lifted her eyes, she met his dark ones which were irritatingly close. Her breath hitched as she realized that their bodies touched slightly.

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I didn't realize you were there… I was lost in thoughts… Wait, are _you_ alright?" she asked in return. He looked very pale and his eyes shone.

Instinctively, she put her hand on his forehead and felt his temperature. He was burning up. "My god, you have a fever, Sasuke. Lay down, while I get some medicine," she told him.

Just as she walked by him, he caught her arm and made her stop and turn towards him. "What is it?" For a moment he just looked at her.

"Not necessary. We're going home if you're really alright." Even now, when he had a fever, he didn't show any pain or uncomfortableness. Sometimes he really made her worry. Like now.

"Well, I'm okay. We can leave if you want but only if you're going to let me take care of you." She had the feeling that he would just ignore his fever and start working again.

The Uchiha stared at her and she wondered if he was going to tell her off again but instead he just made that "Hn" sound again and let her lead him out of the hospital.

* * *

Sakura had already known that he wouldn't let her drive but she tried to convince him anyway. "No. I'm good," was all he said to her.

She sighed and hoped that they didn't get into an accident but the ride went smoothly and as the car rolled safely into his garage, her body relaxed. _Thank God_, she thought.

She followed Sasuke into his house. His long strides made it difficult to keep up with him and get a good look around his house at the same time.

In the kitchen, he poured a glass of water and leaned his back against the counter. He stared at Sakura who stood forlornly in the middle of the room. She'd thought it when they had turned into his driveway but _man_, this house was _huge._ She knew he was rich but how could he live in this villa all alone? It was way too much space for one person and knowing Sasuke, he didn't need it. He didn't care about huge houses or expensive cars. So why?

"It's my parent's," he explained as if he'd read her thoughts. "And before that my grandparent's. It's old and belongs to our family. And by family I mean clan."

It was like he'd read her question in her eyes. _What family needs this big a house?_ So the answer was that the Uchiha family lived here all together.

"You mean, you live with your aunts and uncles and cousins? Where is everyone?" Something dark, like a shadow, scurried over his face. "They're dead."

Sakura couldn't stand the uncomfortable silence she had unwantedly created. No words of apology left her mouth because she just_ knew_ that he hated those words. It was a grave loss, she could see that and she couldn't imagine losing every single relative and living alone in this dark and ghastly manor. After all, she only had her parents.

She never got to know any other relatives because they had all moved around the world and settled down elsewhere. Sasuke, however, was different from her. His whole family had lived with him, he had grown up with their love and had loved them and now they were dead and he was all alone because his parents were in a coma and most probably didn't ever wake up again.

"Why do this to yourself?" she suddenly asked. He looked startled. "Do what?"

She walked over to him until she was only one tiny step away from him. He was taller than her and she had to look up at him and he had to meet her gaze by looking down. A few days ago she might have felt inferior to him but now she felt strong. She wanted to be strong for _him_. She wanted to console him because the image of a young Sasuke bugged her and wouldn't leave her alone.

When she looked at him closely now, she could see this young Sasuke in him even though she didn't know how he'd looked like when he was still a child. It was more like the fragility of a child she saw now.

"Why live in this house where memories come up and make you sad, when you could just be happy in any other place?"

His eyes said that she knew nothing about him, about his sadness or happiness. "Why would I be happy in another house? How do you know I'm not happy, anyway? You don't know me."

It was like a slap. She didn't know why it hurt her that he thought like that. Did she want to know him? Did she want him to know her and trust her? Of course she did because she wanted people to trust her but why did she want him to know her as she wanted to know him?

"I can tell. I don't know what happened to you that you had to curl up into a ball and build this damn wall around your heart but I know that living in a house the size of a shopping mall all by yourself will make you feel lonelier than you already do. Can't you see that you're hurting? You miss your family and that's alright. But don't punish yourself by doing this. I don't even know why you're punishing yourself, maybe you're a masochist. I don't really care what it is but I don't want you to live here. It's way too sad…," Sakura lowered her voice. "Please don't… don't hurt yourself anymore," she whispered softly.

When she finished, she gasped as she realized what she'd blabbered about. She feared he'd say it was none of her business and she ought to know her place but he didn't.

Instead he grabbed her chin and pressed his mouth hard on hers, backing her against the wall with his body weight. Taken by surprise, Sakura let out a soft mixture of a gasp and a moan. Not knowing whether she should kiss him back or push him away, she put her hands on his chest.

Why did he kiss her? Would he get angry if she pushed him away? If she kissed him back, would he laugh at her and tell her he only wanted to test her?

She pushed him only slightly away but enough so that their lips got separated and they could breathe. "What… Why…," she breathed.

She looked up to meet his eyes but his lids fluttered as if he was exhausted and wanted to sleep. She remembered his fever and felt guilty that she hadn't taken care of it yet but instead had wasted their time by giving a speech more or less about his own health.

His head slid down her cheek and came to rest on her shoulder. He muttered something but she didn't catch it. Sakura took his arm and laid it around her shoulder, steadying him. Sliding her own arm around his waist, she started towards the door.

Coming to a stop in the hallway, she realized she didn't have a clue where his bedroom was. "Sasuke?" He seemed to be asleep and she didn't want to wake him up.

She cursed under her breath and started to look around to get an idea where his bedroom could be. "Might as well let him wait here…" She leaned Sasuke on the wall and let him slide down into a sitting position.

After making sure he wouldn't fall over, she got up and searched in every room for a sign that this was Sasuke's. Being done downstairs, she climbed the stairs and wiped the sweat from her face. She'd opened at least thirty rooms but the sight in front of her now made her choke on her spit.

"Just how _many_ rooms does this house have?" She cursed and counted while catching her breath. She counted another ten in this hallway but the thing with this building was that it had not just one hallway.

"I'll have you compensate for this, Uchiha," muttered a frustrated Sakura. She stretched her back and started another round. She began to wonder if she should just drop him on the sofa but she didn't want him to get a backache and it was a good start to get used to this building if Sasuke planned on staying here with her. She really hoped not…

After a perceived eternity, Sakura pushed the right door open. Relief washed over her and then curiosity had her standing there and looking around Sasuke's room.

It was a dark room with only one window. The blue curtains were drawn together and she had to switch on the light to really see how he had decorated the room. It wasn't a very big room, most probably he only came here to sleep.

Could it be that this had been his nursery? It looked like it.

He had a king-size bed with blank white sheets. Next to the bed was a little night table made of wood. A reading lamp stood on it and a staple of books. Her glance glided towards the simple wooden closet to her right. She took a step inwards and noticed a dreamcatcher hanging from the closet key. It was small and painted beautifully in different shades of blue. The feathers were light brown and had blotches in them.

The dreamcatcher looked as if it was new but the atmosphere said that it was there since forever. Sasuke didn't buy such things anyway. It must have been something precious to him or he would have already gotten rid of it, she was sure of it. Or maybe he had bad dreams and the dreamcatcher helped.

Realizing that Sasuke was still seated on the floor, probably sweating and shivering, she left the room and ran downstairs to take him up.

It was difficult because his whole weight lay on her side but she managed it. Now sweating herself, she wiped at her forehead and then proceeded to get Sasuke into bed. She set him down very carefully, and then freed him of his sweaty shirt, trousers and shoes.

She put the blanket around him and went to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of cold water, which she put on the night table in Sasuke's room. She went again to the kitchen to fill a glass of water and searched the bathroom for medicine. Luckily, he had a lot of them stored.

_Does he often get a fever? He must be overworking himself and not get enough sleep_, she thought. She sighed and shook her head. If they really got married, she'd have to worry about him all the time. That wouldn't be a happy marriage, would it? She made a mental note to talk to him about his health.

In Sasuke's bedroom, Sakura wet a towel and wrung it out so she could place it on Sasuke's forehead after wiping his sweat away. She took another towel to wipe his upper torso. He stirred in his sleep then und suddenly caught her wrist. Sakura stopped wiping him and watched his pained face. He opened his mouth and muttered words she couldn't understand. She took the pills out and opened his mouth to put it in.

As she touched his lips, she remembered the feeling of them on her own lips. She remembered the kiss and thinking that his lips were unexpectedly soft…

Hastily, she poured down some water in his throat and he swallowed. Breathing out, she sat down on her knees, leaned her elbows on the mattress and placed her head in her hands. Then, Sakura continued staring at Sasuke's face that was now peaceful again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hi there! Yes, I've decided to put the next chapter online. I'm excitedly writing again and I hope it lasts. For the case it doesn't, I'll write as much as I can now. Please enjoy and thanks for the nice reviews - it's nice to have fans :)

* * *

**Chapter 6  
**

When Sakura's eyes fluttered open, she realized two things. The first thing was that it was dawn already. The second thing caused a weird feeling in her gut. It totally smelled like Sasuke and she _liked_ being surrounded by his smell…

Slowly waking up, she cursed herself for falling asleep while watching over the sick Sasuke. What if it had become worse in the meantime?

She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms and back but stopped in the process. Her eyes looked down to the soft sheets tangled in her legs. Why was _she _the one lying in the bed? And where was the actual patient?

She was just about to stand up and go looking for him, when he showed up in the doorway. His eyebrows went up but he didn't say a word, he just leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sakura blushed lightly.

"How's your fever?" she asked while getting up hastily. "It's gone… Thanks for…" He made a gesture to the bed. "…you know."

The atmosphere seemed a bit awkward. "No problem," she smiled at him but it vanished over her next words.

"I'm really sorry for stealing your bed. You really should have let me sleep on the floor," she said nervously. It was really embarrassing to have fallen asleep in front of him. Moreover, she had done so while she should have watched over him.

"…Hn," was his uncaring reply after a thoughtful pause. Sakura had the feeling that he had wanted to actually say something else and that's why she felt a bit disappointed over his response.

"I should probably go home now that you're healthy again. I guess I'll see you tomorrow in the office," she answered, her voice still had an edge of disappointment in it.

Sasuke shook his head. "You're moving in with me, have you forgotten?"

She opened her mouth to say something. Maybe like "I absolutely won't" or "Why are you like this? Forcing me to do this…" but she didn't say anything. Her energy was gone; she didn't want to get angry all over again when it was already decided anyway. Also, she didn't want _him _to get angry. Maybe his nice side would vanish again if he did.

But there was something else; a feeling in her stomach saying that she _wanted _to move in with him. She couldn't imagine why. Was it because not only Sasuke but she felt lonely herself living all alone? Or was it something else?

"I need some clothes and other things. I don't have anything with me. I have to go home and pack some things," she said eventually. He nodded and pushed himself off the doorframe. "I'll take you."

* * *

Sakura's apartment wasn't big or beautiful like in her childhood fantasies but it was big enough for her and it was comfortable. When she'd opened the door, she'd taken in the room before her, thinking about what she'd miss about it.

Would she ever return here again? How long would she be married to him anyway? They'd get a divorce eventually, wouldn't they? She didn't know anything about visas. She'd have to ask Sasuke about it.

"You can wait here. I'll be back in ten minutes. Do you want something to drink?" She put her purse on a chair and shrugged out of her jacket.

"No. Go on." He leaned on a wall and closed his eyes as if meditating. Sakura looked at him for a few seconds but he didn't open them again and didn't move so she went into her bedroom.

First, she took out a suitcase and opened them so she could put her things in them. Then, she went to her closet and took out her whole set of undergarments, socks and tights. Next, she put some suits and skirts in them. "Okay, these are for work. Now what do I need at home?" she murmured to herself.

She went through her closet and put aside pajamas. She cursed herself for letting her friend Ino throw all of her snuggly pajamas away and replacing them with a set of sexy negligees.

At the sight of a pair of cute and comfy pajamas that Ino must have had pity with, Sakura let out a sigh of relief. She didn't dare imagine what Sasuke would think of her if he'd see her in one of the daring negligees. They were too revealing for her liking but she wasn't much of a shopping person. She hadn't gone shopping pajamas since that incident with her friend but now she deeply regretted being too lazy to do it.

Pushing her thoughts away, she proceeded packing her bags. She threw some trousers, a coat and a leather jacket in it, grabbed one or two dresses and sat down on her bed. She knew she probably exaggerated but one could never know. She'd been in situations where she'd cursed herself for not thinking about taking something with her. And she didn't know when she'd have a chance to come here again…

After going through her cosmetics and packing her washbag, she was almost done. Grabbing her charging cable and laptop, she shouted to Sasuke: "I'm done. Just a second more!"

She neatly packed everything and shut the cases. Taking a glance around the room, she was pretty sure she had everything she needed. Satisfied, she took her bags and brought them to the living room where Sasuke was still standing with closed eyes.

Was he tired? Was he annoyed with her taking so long? It had been ten minutes exactly like she'd said but maybe he didn't like waiting. Or maybe she just worried too much and he was just thinking about things.

A look around the room made Sakura stop what she was thinking at that moment. "Ah, right, I probably should take some books with me…" She walked across the room and snatched a stack of books from her couch table.

While putting them in her bags, she went through the titles. One of them was about learning how to become a professional and skilled secretary, others were romance novels and some were fantasy novels. Not that she was ashamed of liking fantasy novels but she did try to hide them from Sasuke. She knew he was a serious business man so he probably didn't have time to read much, much less "waste" his time on fictional novels instead of economic books.

"Still into that kind of thing?" he asked. As she glanced up at him, blushing slightly, she noticed that his eyes were open now and he'd raised an eyebrow at her.

Startled, she returned a question. "What do you mean 'still'?" She might have imagined it but she thought he looked shocked for a moment. Then it was gone and he looked disinterested again.

"I saw you once carrying that stuff around," he explained mildly. She blushed a deeper red. He must have thought that she was a hopeless romantic – which she was, by the way – and wasn't concerned with dealing with the real life which meant to him that she hadn't experienced downs in her life and was totally spoiled.

She felt the urge to defend herself in front of him even though there was nothing wrong with liking romance. It just felt good being in a different world, letting go your worries and taking the place of a character that had a perfect life or at least a happy ending.

"I just like being in another world…" She couldn't quite get the words right but even if she had, she didn't know whether he'd understand it. He was completely different from her, wasn't he?

"My mother was like that. She tried to explain to me the joys of reading those books once. It was as if everything around her vanished and she was completely happy being there in this other world where nobody could reach her and everything seemed perfect… I never understood how somebody could be happy with something that didn't exist." He turned towards the windows; his eyes looked distant like he was in another world, too.

"It's not that simple. And it isn't non-existent. It exists. In our heads and in our hearts, don't you think? It's those places where you can have everything you want. Everything is possible. It's _fantastic_." Sakura looked at him until he looked her in the eyes. The black inside his eyes was as dark as the night.

The moment of silence lasted not long. Sasuke broke the eye contact and turned to the door and opened it.

"Do you need help with that?" He motioned to her bags which she looked at dumbfounded. What had just happened? Had he opened himself a little? Had he understood now what his mother had tried to tell him?

"Y-yes, please. I'm sorry; I should've just taken as much as I can carry but…" She looked at him apologetically but he just shook his head. "It's fine. No problem."

* * *

"This'll be your room," Sasuke told her after opening a door opposite his own bedroom. Sakura was stunned. 'Her' room was almost thrice as big as the one in her apartment.

"Are you serious? I can have this?" She couldn't believe he'd just give her a room. This had to be the bedroom of a dead family member. At that thought, she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"You can have it… but please take care of it." It was a first; him saying 'please' that is. It seemed to be important to him.

"Whose was it?" She hoped he didn't mind the question but his silence said otherwise. Suddenly, he jerked away from the room and ran a hand through his hair. "My parents'."

Sakura was shocked. Did he trust her enough to give her the room of his parents? She'd thought he didn't trust _anyone_ but her of all people? And why did he give it away when it wasn't even sure they'd never wake up again? Unless…

"You really do believe they're dead, don't you?" she whispered but he didn't seem to hear it. Or he didn't want to answer because it was too painful.

* * *

An hour went by as she cleaned her new room and unpacked her things. She still didn't feel very good about it being his parent's room but she knew she had to get used to it. Maybe it wasn't all that bad because he seemed to trust her.

The room had a walk-in closet which Sakura had always wanted but it looked kind of empty because she hadn't brought all her clothes. Even if she had, she didn't think it would look much better. She assumed that Sasuke's mother had had a lot of clothes.

She wondered if Sasuke had gotten rid of the belongings of his parents but he wasn't that kind of person. He probably had moved them somewhere else so that she could have this room which left her wondering why he wanted her to have _this _room. For her it was just a room but it mattered to him somehow.

Sakura let out a breath of relief as she had now a perfectly clean room where she felt now a little bit more like home. Being surrounded by her own things, she didn't feel as uncomfortable as an hour ago anymore.

Her wristwatch said it was already half past eight. She walked into the kitchen and found Sasuke sitting in a chair and reading something in the newspaper.

"Hey," she said softly as if afraid of disturbing him. He looked up. "Are you hungry? Should I cook something?" He thought about it and then shrugged.

"Well, okay… I'll just make something. Guys are always hungry, I guess." She looked into the fridge and some drawers. She froze. He had _nothing. _No vegetables, no meat, no rice, _nothing. _How in the world did he manage to stay alive?

"You know, you could have told me that there's nothing I can cook…" She glanced at the clock on the wall. Grocery stores had closed but maybe she could get something from a 24/7 shop.

"Sasuke…" She winced when he glared at her. "I'm sorry, forget I said anything…" She turned and walked out of the room. Breathing in deeply to calm down, she thought about what she could do now. She certainly didn't want to go in there again.

Not knowing what to do, she returned to her bedroom. Out of boredom, she checked her phone. It had received three calls – one from her friend Hinata and two from her best friend Ino.

She let out a sigh and called back. It had been too long since she'd really talked to anyone other than her boss. She hadn't seen either of her friends in the past month.

_"Sakura? Hello?"_

Sakura broke away from her thoughts and smiled. "Ino, hey. How are you? Why did you call? Is everything ok?"

_"Yeah, I'm fine. Shikamaru is with me right now so I can't talk for long. I just wanted to know if you're alright. I heard you were in the hospital. What happened?"_

Ino sounded concerned but Sakura knew that that would change when she heard what happened.

"Well… It's that redhead again. She never liked me but this time, she completely lost it. She punched me a few times but it's okay now." Actually, the pain was still there but she tried her best in ignoring it.

_"What! That bitch! How dare she?! I'm coming there right now. She'll never bother you again, I promise!"_

Sakura laughed softly. She'd known that Ino would say that. "No, you don't have to do that. My boss took care of it. He fired her."

_"_He_? Last time I checked, your boss was a female. How's that happened?"_

Sakura sighed. She hadn't had the chance to tell anyone she'd gotten another job. She never really talked about herself but lately she just didn't have the time or energy to call her friends or family. "I got a job offer. A _good _offer, don't worry. About six month ago, actually. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

_"It's okay. So tell me. Any hot guys? Have you done something about that shyness of yours? You know you can't hide behind books forever."_

"I know. You don't have to tell me that but it's just that I didn't meet anyone I'm interested in yet. It's not as easy for me as it is for you. You're gorgeous and funny and intelligent…"

Sakura heard Ino snort at the other end. _"You're really dumb for not realizing it already. Those things you just said about me? They can be said about you too, except I can add the fact that you're extremely cute and just… damn cute. Your hair is soft and it shines and your eyes… Girl, your eyes are so beautiful it's a miracle guys aren't queuing up to get you!"_

A soft giggle left Sakura's lips. She really had the best friend there was. "Thank you. You too, you know. You're very cute and I love your hair and eyes. They're the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. So please tell Shikamaru, okay? Just tell him."

_"You say that but you're not making progress either. Remember, Sakura. Just remember."_

Sakura's smile was wiped off her face. "You know it'll never happen. The doctor said-"

_"Dammit, Sakura, I know what the doctor said. I know it! But you know what? I don't think your memories are lost. I think your brain is just protecting you! I think you don't _want _to remember because you're afraid. But, honey, you don't _need _to be afraid. It's fine to relax and let it come to you. Isn't the reason you didn't contact us all because you're so stressed out? Maybe if you try – really try – then you'll get better. Please try."_

Sakura had to fight the urge to cry. Ino's words had hit on the right spots. It really was hard for her but she knew her friend had a hard time too. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ino. I know it's important for you but why is it important for _me_? We were just children. Can't we let it go already?"

_"That's not the point… It's not about me. Not about us. It's about you and him."_

"What are you talking about? Who's _he_?" Sakura had no idea what her best friend was implying.

_"I can't tell you. I promised. I can't. I'm so sorry, Sakura. He doesn't want me to. Please don't ask me anymore. Please try to remember. I have to go now. I love you, take care."_

"Ino, wait-" Ino had hung up. Sakura let out a frustrated growl and stared at her phone in wonder. Everything Ino had told her was so puzzling. It was frustrating that Ino knew something but didn't tell her.

She thought about every word and tried to make out a detail she'd missed. She couldn't grasp at the lost memories. She just wasn't able to.

The rosette jumped when the doorbell rang. It was loud and clear in order to reach every single room of the manor. For a brief moment she wondered if she'd ever get used to that and then she stood up and went for the door.

Sasuke reached there first. She watched him open the door halfway and grabbing for something in his pocket which he handed to the person at the door.

She was just about to return to her room when Sasuke closed the door and turned to her holding pizza in his hands. "Hungry?" Sakura couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Was that supposed to be an apology? If it was, he sure as hell should be forgiven.

"Yeah. I'm-" Her stomach growled. She laughed again. "Starving." They seated themselves in the kitchen and opened the two boxes. "This is yours."

"_Prosciutto e funghi_," she observed. "How'd you know that's my favourite?" Her eyes shined brightly at him.

"I guessed." He avoided her gaze and started on his pizza. "Well then you're a good guesser. Thanks for the pizza," she smiled at him and began to eat.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hey, guys! The new chapter's ready - yay! I really appreciate your reviews, thank you! There're 41 Favs and 52 Follows already, I'm so happy you like my story *_*

I'll probably delete the titles of the chapters because I'm not very good at that and they're not really necessary either. I hope that's okay ;)

I've had trouble making paragraphs - I hope it didn't bother you. I'll try to change that from now on (and update the former chapters). I'll just put in this line. I guess that's the best solution. Well, that's that. Now, please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

They had eaten in silence but Sakura didn't think it was awkward; she rather liked it. After they had finished, Sakura started to wash the dishes.

Sasuke stood up and looked at her. "I'm going to take a shower first and head to bed," he said and walked towards the door.

"Ah, wait, Sasuke. I don't know where the bathroom is…"

He stopped and put his hands in his pockets. "It's the room next to yours on the right side. Anything else?" He asked it as if he expected her to ask another question but she couldn't imagine what it was.

"No, thank you. Good night. Sweet dreams," she smiled at him.

For a second there she thought she saw his mouth quirk up on one side but he turned at the same time so she couldn't find out whether she'd been right.

"Aa. You too."

* * *

She didn't sleep well that night.

Maybe it was because it was an almost complete stranger's house or maybe it was because she couldn't stop thinking about that almost complete stranger.

Maybe it was because it nagged her that this was his almost dead parent's room or maybe it was because of what Ino had said to her.

She thought about Sasuke and blushed lightly at the thought of him being in the same house and sleeping in the room opposite hers. Slowly, her eyes flattered closed and stayed like that as she began to fall into a slumber.

In the middle of the night, she awoke to a storm that pushed the branches of the tree outside into the glass of her window. She sat up and wound her arms around her knees so she could bury her face in them.

The eerie noise frightened her but she didn't know what to do. She couldn't go back to sleep now but she didn't want to stay in the room, anyway, so she climbed out of bed and went downstairs.

In the living room she switched the lights on and looked around the room. There was nothing to do. A glance to the clock told her it was half past four. Work didn't start until eight.

Sasuke probably got up at seven to get ready, eat breakfast and read the newspaper. Then again, he probably was the type to leave out breakfast and he'd read the newspaper the evening before so he probably ditched that in the morning, too. That was weird because she'd always thought he was a morning person.

"What are you doing? Go back to sleep," a deep voice behind her muttered sleepily.

She startled, turned around and stared at Sasuke. She hadn't heard him coming. He rubbed a hand across his face while the other was pressed against the doorframe.

"It should be me saying that. You had a fever yesterday, you should sleep and eat properly and not overwork yourself." She sounded like a mother lecturing her child but she couldn't help worrying about her boss – well, future _husband _was more like it but she didn't dare to think those words yet.

Sasuke pushed himself off the frame and scratched his chest while walking into the kitchen. Sakura followed him in and watched as he grabbed a glass and filled it with water. "I can take care of myself just fine. You don't need to force yourself to worry about me."

Sakura shook her head and sighed. "I'm not forcing myself. I'm genuinely concerned, you know. I'd appreciate it if you got used to that because after all I'm your fiancé, am I not? You chose me because I won't jump you the second I see you and that's fine. But now you have to come to terms with the fact that you _did _choose me and I'm being me which means I will always worry about you and want to take care of you because that's how I am. If you got a problem with that, just say the word and I'll leave you alone – for good." Sakura took a deep breath after her speech and felt relieved that she'd finally said it.

Sasuke's eyes were on her, silently observing her and trying to figure her out. "Fine. If that's what you want." He wrinkled his forehead and awaited her answer which came promptly.

"Yes. That's what I want." A smile crept up her face as she realized that his agreement was a sign – a sign for change. She was going to crack his nutshell if he liked it or not. This led her thinking that she still didn't know whether they'd divorce.

The thought made her a bit sad but she didn't exactly know why. It wasn't as if she knew him that well or really liked him, anyway. "One question. What's your plan? I mean, you and I will get married – so far I'm catching on but what then? How long will this show have to go on? A year? Maybe two?"

Sasuke gulped down the water and put the glass on the counter not exactly without making any noise. "I don't know. We'll see. We'll get divorced anytime you want – if you…," he avoided her eyes. "…fall in love with someone, I won't force you to stay. It's not a problem really."

She thought she saw a weird glint in his eyes but forgot about it when the next thought crept up. "Well, I thought you wanted to ruin my life if I didn't meet your offer… What happened to that threat?"

He looked slightly shocked as if he'd thought she'd forgotten about that already or maybe he'd forgotten himself. "Actually… I didn't want it to come out as a threat. It's true, though, I _could _ruin it if I wanted."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Gee, thanks. I feel very good now," she whispered annoyed. "Wait. How did you want it to come out exactly? It wasn't meant as an actual… you know… _proposal_?"

She almost choked on her breath as he turned his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest almost childishly. "Wow… that's… a shocker. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I just never thought that you had thought about my feelings, that's all. I thought you were just using me but… well, _why _did you threaten me like that if you needed my help? I would've done it out of my free will if it meant I could help you…" Her face turned a light shade of red.

"No, you wouldn't have. That's why I threatened you," he shook his head like he was very sure of that.

"You don't know that. You never asked," she said softly.

Sasuke looked at her with slightly widened eyes. "I… You were afraid of me- You hated me, right?" This time she shook her head.

"How could I be afraid of you?" She lowered her voice, embarrassed about what she was going to say. "I didn't like being glared at. I wanted you to notice my hard work and praise me or… smile at me. Anything would've made me happy, really, but you always glared at me like I was an annoying bug or something. I always thought I'd done something very wrong to have made you hate me this much-," she breathed.

In an instant he was in front of her and for a brief moment, she thought he was going to touch her cheek because he lifted his hand but dropped it awkwardly as if he'd changed his mind. "I don't hate you. You're just annoying me," he said instead.

Those words felt like a pang in Sakura's heart but she couldn't imagine why it would hurt her this much. Wasn't he just her boss? Wasn't he the one who'd threatened to ruin her life if she didn't promise to marry him? Realization dawned upon her. She was nothing to him.

"Ah… haha, yeah…" She tried to cover up her pain with laughter but it came out cracked. "Uhm… I'm going to… try to sleep again… Sorry to have bothered you…," she wanted to say but she wasn't sure if he understood her because her voice had given up now completely.

The lump in her throat wasn't going to go away anytime soon so she turned away hastily and fled towards her room. Reaching it, she slowed down her pace and turned the knob with shaking hands.

She'd thought she'd made him open up to her – he _had _opened up to her but why did he still act like that? Being annoying was probably the worst thing he had ever said to her. It hurt. It hurt so much she thought she was going to throw up but she didn't.

Why had he never told her? Why had he still chosen her when she was so annoying? She didn't understand any of it. It was painful, yet she still wasn't able to let him go.

* * *

"G… Good morning." She placed his coffee on his desk and left, thinking about how she'd treated him before his 'proposal'. She didn't know, she couldn't remember.

How had she looked at him? How had she stomached his cold appearance and the lack of the simple words 'thank you'? How had she been able to breathe when he'd looked at her sharply? How had she survived until now?

"Uhm…," she cleared her throat. He didn't look up from the paper but she could see that he raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering… if Karin… I mean, let's say she wants us to be busted… Or anyone else-," she stammered.

She could almost see his vein on the forehead popping out. She winced and prepared for an angry response.

"I took care of her and of everyone else. They won't blab if they want to keep their jobs. Anyway, I announced our engagement and told everybody that we've been secretly 'in love'. I guess you can say they won't get in our ways," he told her calmly while still staring at his paper.

What was so damn important, anyway, that he couldn't look her in the eyes properly? Or was this about what happened a few hours before?

Sakura didn't believe that her co-workers believed the romantic story about their engagement. They weren't idiots. They knew that Uchiha Sasuke had a heart as cold as ice and a man of his calibre certainly didn't fall in love. Not with someone like Haruno Sakura, anyway.

What's more is that she knew exactly that Karin wasn't going to keep silent about this. How had that woman even known about Sasuke's false engagement, anyway? Did she stalk him or something?

"What are you going to do if someone finds out about your visa running out? And for the record, Karin already knows about that. She'll do everything needed to break this engagement apart," she went on. Now she felt encouraged again as if it was a normal day – well, a normal day before her life had changed drastically.

"You don't need to worry about that. I will take care of everything since this is important to me. You may leave now."

* * *

Back in her office, Sakura slumped into her seat and laid her face into her hands. What had that been about? She was so damn confused now. He hadn't cast her a single glance and he'd spoken to her as if she was just his secretary – _only _his secretary. Nothing more, nothing less. Then again, he probably _had _treated her as if she was less than his secretary.

"Damn him," she muttered. "Why? Have I done something wrong? Does he really hate me but can't say it because he thinks I'm going to run away?" She couldn't come up with an answer but she didn't have to, anyway, because her phone rang.

"Yes, please?" she said sluggishly.

_"Sakura? It's Tenten. I wanted to check up on you. I'm sorry I didn't visit you in the hospital but I had a lot going on, too." _She sounded somewhat desperate and wouldn't stop apologizing.

"It's okay, don't worry about that. Actually, it's good you didn't come because you would've just gotten into trouble with Karin," Sakura told her.

_"Oh, yeah, I heard about her. She was fired and no employer wants to take her. It's like her credentials say 'Don't take me; I'm a total bitch; I only care about my darling Sasuke; Anyone other than me who gets close to him will be beaten up so back off' or something like that. It's kinda scary don't ya think? If something like that happened to me, I would be destroyed. I wouldn't know what to do."_

Sakura remembered what Sasuke had said to her the day he'd threatened her. _You know that I am able to destroy your life, Haruno. If you do not accept, I will definitely ruin you. _She shuddered. He'd said that he hadn't really meant to go through with his threat but she couldn't help thinking if it was what he'd done to Karin.

"That's… terrible. I kind of feel sorry for her…," she said to Tenten.

_"What? She totally deserves that. She should learn a lesson or two in her life. She'd have terrorized women around Sasuke all her life if he didn't take action."_

Sakura knew that that was true and she admired Tenten for being so relaxed about that because she didn't like what Sasuke had done even if it was to protect his plan.

"Well, I hope he'll redo it when she's learned her lesson. I don't want her to become a homeless person."

_"Yeah, well… So, how are you? Have you recovered?"_

"Yes, yes, I'm fine already. Thanks for helping me and sorry about not trusting you. I was just shocked, I guess. I haven't witnessed shouting 'Fire, fire!' being much of help until that time." She sighed and pushed the unpleasant memory away.

_"No problem. I wasn't really thinking either. I was paralyzed a little and I wasn't sure if I should step in personally or call for help. Usually I'm stronger than most women but Karin is… well, she used to do various martial arts back in high school. At least I heard a rumour about it."_

"Wow, that's impressive. Anyway, no worries. I'm just glad that you didn't leave me there to get killed and eaten alive." She heard Tenten laugh on the other side.

_"No way. I'm not that bad of a person. So I've heard you're engaged to the Uchiha. How the hell has that happened? Care to explain?"_

Sakura took a deep breath and explained everything not leaving out any detail. She knew she could trust Tenten to keep her mouth shut but she couldn't say that about her best friend Ino which was the reason she hadn't told her yet.

Actually, she didn't plan on ever telling her because she was afraid that Ino would let it slip which would mean that Sasuke would get caught. Because his visa was running out, he would have to leave the country and go back to wherever he'd grown up.

Sakura wondered where that was. She narrowed her eyes. Didn't Sasuke say he'd grown up in the Uchiha manor? The manor was in this city, however. How could that be possible? Was he lying to her?

_"That's… well… congratulations. I hope you survive."_

"He's not that bad, you know. But I guess it's no use saying that given that you've never spoken to him but listened to every bad rumour about him."

_"Damn right I have. I gotta keep work interesting." _Tenten was totally grinning, Sakura was sure of that.

"Haha. Your work is more interesting than mine since you've been promoted. You can't fool me. You're still trying to hide the fact that you're just bored because a certain someone is missing."

_"Wha-?! No way, I do not miss anybody. I am not interested in that oblivious and ignorant jerk!"_

"I never mentioned who I was referring to but you're right. You're totally _not _in love with him. I guess I just imagined your desktop background. I could have sworn he was shirtless. Extremely hot, I gotta say. Mind if I ask him out on a date? You don't care since you hate him and everything, right?" Sakura teased her.

_"Damn you. Enough already… Well, what about you? Have you even told anyone you're getting married – even if it's fake?"_

The word 'fake' hit Sakura more than she'd expected. "Yes. I told you."

_"God, woman. You're so stubborn. Just talk to your parents already. They'd be delighted to hear your news, I assure you. Even if it's only about the job transfer."_

"I guess I'll tell them about the new job. But Sasuke and me… that's out of the question. They wouldn't even listen to me until the end. They'd probably be out of the house and going to meet my fiancé the second I say the word 'marry'."

_"For real? Then it's probably not a good idea to tell them, you're right."_

"Yep. Okay, I have to go now. Thanks for calling. Maybe we can meet for lunch?"

_"I'd love to. I'm in the second building today so where should we meet up?"_

"How about I'll come and get you in your bureau at one-thirty?"

_"Sure. See you then. Bye."_

Sakura said her goodbyes and hung up. She sighed and went to fill a glass with water to fight down the headache creeping up her temples. When she sat back on her chair and put the glass down on her desk, she let out another deep sigh. She felt exhausted and wanted to lie down and sleep but it was still only morning.

A groan escaped her lips as she read Sasuke's schedule for the afternoon. There were meetings all over the day, one after the other. The office phone rang and when Sakura picked it up, thinking it probably was Sasuke, she said: "Yes, sir?"

_"That boy… What's he doing letting her call him by that?" _the man, who was not Sasuke apparently, whispered to himself. As he resumed his voice rose up so she could hear the words meant for her only.

_"However, _I_ would like for you to call me brother from now on, Haruno Sakura."_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update last week. I had exams. Now that my break has (inofficially since I still have lectures but no tests) started, I just had to continue writing. I hope you like that I 'introduced' (you already know them but not in this story) 3 (!) new characters and the new chapter is even a bit longer now! I'm hoping you'll tell me a bit how you like it :) Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Sakura cleared her throat and sat up straight in her chair. "Excuse me, sir? I haven't caught your name," she said into the phone agitatedly and curiously.

The man on the phone chuckled, his voice dark and low. "_Ah, I have not mentioned it yet. Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Itachi Uchicha, Sasuke's older brother. Did he not tell you I existed?_"

Sinking into her chair, Sakura tried to remember how to breathe. Her face had gone pale and her eyes were wide. Sasuke had an older brother? She hadn't known. She wondered if he and Sasuke were similar or complete opposites. She guessed they weren't close because he didn't live in the Uchiha manor and Sasuke hadn't even mentioned him.

"_It seems not_," Itachi ascertained when Sakura didn't answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know he had… well- still some family left. Pardon my choice of words," Sakura said nervously.

_"No, I suppose it is true."_

Sakura felt slightly uncomfortable. Why did he call her? What did he want? The silence was uncomfortable for her but she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue talking to this person either.

Sasuke hadn't mentioned he had a brother for a reason, hadn't he? However, she couldn't quite imagine why Sasuke would push away his brother when he was all he had left of his family.

"I don't want to be disrespectful but I-," Sakura began but Itachi interrupted her before she could ditch him.

"_My foolish little brother_," he seemed to sigh while whispering to himself again. The next sentence was directed to Sakura, though. "_I had hoped you would be willing to meet me. I was sure the Sakura I know would like to know what Sasuke is hiding from you_."

Sakura wasn't sure how to react to those words. The Sakura he _knew_? What the hell? She didn't know any Itachi Uchiha. Her eyes widened as she realized what the answer to that was. "What's going on?" she asked.

When no answer came, she looked to the receiver for a message. The call was disconnected but she didn't know why. Everything in her bureau was supposed to be working perfectly fine.

"You're supposed to direct any calls to my office."

Sasuke stood in her doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes were dark; the glare directed towards her face was the most frightening one she had ever received.

A shiver went down her spine. She was frozen in her pose, staring at him in sheer horror. Something was very wrong with the way he looked at her. It was almost as if he felt _betrayed._

"You… you never told me you had a brother." Sakura's voice gave up and came out as a silent yelp.

"Never _ever _mention him again," his voice as cold as ice cut into the room. He then turned and walked away from her ignoring the tears that began to stream down her face.

* * *

At one-thirty exactly Sakura stood in front of Tenten's office, lifting her hand up to knock softly on her door but she couldn't go through with the action since her hand was shaking madly.

"Are you alright?" somebody asked her.

Sakura turned around and saw a handsome man standing before her. He had long brown her; it looked so beautiful and soft, she immediately felt like she really wanted to run her fingers through it. She blushed at the thought.

She pulled herself together. This man was already out of the question since Tenten was in love with him. She knew him, of course, since he was of the family that was partners with the Uchiha's.

"I… I'm… I…" Sakura's voice broke. There was still a lump in her throat from before.

"I guess not," Neji Hyuuga said. "Come on. You should calm down before you meet that woman."

"Thank-," she whispered. He just nodded and led her into a big office. It was even bigger than Sasuke's and just as neat.

He handed her a glass of water and motioned for her to sit down while he sat down in the chair behind the desk.

"I have never seen you here before. You are not an employee here," he stated, observing her.

Sakura swallowed the water, she liked the feeling of the coldness wrapping around the lump in her throat and slowly crushing it.

"No. I am from the other building – from the Uchiha's building."

Originally, the two buildings had belonged to separate corporations. Two years ago the Uchiha family head – or Sasuke since he _was _kind of the family – had signed a contract with the Hyuuga family head. Ever since both their corporations had been combined but either one still had its own building.

"Ah. Very well. Tenten is your friend then?" the man asked.

"Yes. I was about to pick her up for lunch but..." Sakura couldn't think of any words explaining her breakdown.

The man stood up and walked around his desk, narrowing his eyes. "I might not know my uncle's partner in business very well but I know one thing for sure. He is in great pain and anger and as of now, he is not able to love."

Sakura swallowed. How did he know about the engagement? Ah, Sasuke had already taken care of everything, he'd said, including announcing it to the whole enterprise.

"You know what? I really have to go now, Tenten will worry otherwise."

He didn't stop her when she left but he frowned. He thought he'd heard her mutter something like _It takes one to know one._

* * *

"There you are. I was just about to call your cell," Tenten said relieved.

Sakura apologized and linked arms with her friend while they walked towards the elevator. "Some… _things _happened so I got delayed."

Tenten eyed her but noticed that Sakura didn't want to talk about it right now so she let it drop. Her friend would tell her when she was ready to.

"Let's go to that Ramen Shop. What's it called again?" Tenten asked instead.

Sakura didn't know why she remembered the name. It seemed familiar like she'd been there a thousand times before but she hadn't. Or she just couldn't remember. Anyway, the name just popped into her head. Just like that.

"Ichiraku's. You mean that one?" Sakura offered and Tenten nodded.

* * *

After ordering their food, they sat down on the stools and waited. "So, I met the Hyuuga today," Sakura began.

Tenten clicked her tongue. "Really now? In the company?"

Sakura noticed that her friend was really pulling herself together to seem uninterested. She smiled.

"Yep, just when I was about to knock on your door. Damn, he's gorgeous. I'd give everything to touch his hair just once," she grinned.

"You're already taken," Tenten scoffed. "Is one heart-throb not enough for your highness?"

Sakura laughed at her. "Man, you're a very frustrated woman, you know that? All that jealousy stuffed inside of you… How are you even holding up with just looking at him from afar?"

Their food arrived. Both of them grabbed their chopsticks and broke them apart, ready to dig in.

"That's just it. I'm _not. _I feel like dying." Tenten began to slurp down the noodles.

"Well, at least he's nice to you and doesn't keep secrets from you when you're already a broken person with lost memories…"

Tenten choked on her noodles. "What?" she coughed. "He's keeping secrets from you? Already fighting when you're not even a real couple, what the hell?"

Sakura sighed and took a bite to get some time to think about the choice of her words. Next thing she knew, she was pouring her heart out to her friend. She told her _everything _and it was a great feeling.

The weight on her shoulders decreased and it felt so relieving to have someone who knew as much as she did and who could give her a second opinion. She wanted to know that she wasn't going paranoid.

"You're being paranoid," Tenten said after Sakura finished. "I mean, it's totally not obvious that Sasuke's not telling you something and he wants to keep you away from his brother and he's just an untrustworthy bastard. You're just paranoid, that's all."

Sakura opened her mouth but nothing came out. Then she realized. "You're being sarcastic, right?"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "You're so naïve. _Of course_ I'm being sarcastic, dumbo."

Sakura groaned. "What should I do? I thought he's actually nice and caring. What if I'm wrong? I couldn't stand it if he really was a heartless bastard… What if Neji's right?"

Tenten raised an eyebrow at her friend. "What did he say? Hey, wait, you're not actually into him, are you?"

Sakura shook her head vehemently. "No, no. Tenten, we just _talked_," she stressed. No one could survive Tenten's fury.

Her friend just laughed at her. "Haha, I know. Because you're _totally _in love with the Uchiha."

Sakura stared. And stared. And stared. Her eyes widened.

"That… That's not… _What?_"

Tenten just rolled her eyes. Again.

* * *

Sakura walked Tenten into her office and sat with her. She had about fifteen minutes left.

"I'm sorry. I just realized that we were only talking about me the entire time. I really want to know how you're doing. You know… with Neji and everything," Sakura blurted out.

It was really unnerving her that they'd been discussing her problems when she knew that Tenten actually needed to get rid of her thoughts too.

"I don't know. I feel like I'm close to him but I'm far away, too. You know what I mean?"

Sakura nodded sadly. She knew the feeling a little too well.

"He's always serious when he's working; he's doing his best…. When we're alone I can see that he's actually very exhausted and he unconsciously relaxes but he never says anything. He never complains. Everything he thinks is work-related and I can understand why he's like that since he wants to prove his capability. But I also see that he's becoming more like a robot each day. He abandons his feelings… I just don't know if he'll ever realize… that his body has limits and that I… I'll always be there for him. I don't know if I can bear seeing him break down anymore when he thinks nobody is around…."

Sakura listened silently and wondered how she'd missed her friend's pain. Was she too caught up in her fake engagement? But what Tenten was telling her… it seemed like it'd been going on for a long time.

"Tenten…" She said softly. Her friend who never cried was on the verge of crying right now. She was strong but she was sensitive too. And she was in love and love wasn't reasonable.

Sakura laid her arms around the brunette and caressed her head. "We'll find a way to reach him. You're the only one that can."

Tenten tried to hide her sobbing. "That's not true but thank you anyway."

Sakura shook her head. "It's true, I swear. When I talked to him, I could see that he likes you. He cares about you deeply. I felt it… somehow."

She thought back to the moment he asked her if she was a friend of Tenten's. He'd said her name like it was something exciting. He didn't smile or react or anything but his eyes had softened a bit and Sakura was good in reading ice princes lately. She was living with one after all.

Tenten raised her head and looked at Sakura like a lost puppy. "Really?"

Sakura smiled, giving her friend back her hope. "Really."

When she thought about what Neji had said about Sasuke, however, the brightness in her eyes faded. Was Sasuke really not able to love someone? Was he really caught up in his misery? Why did she feel like her heart was tearing apart when she saw him hurting? Could it be true what her friend had said? Was she actually in love with a person that couldn't love her back?

* * *

After persuading Tenten to talk to Neji and do her best, Sakura went back to her office. She got back just in time to get her schedule – or rather Sasuke's schedule – and arrive in his office seconds before he'd glare at her for being late. She was so glad she wasn't because the glare she'd received before lunch was enough for a whole month.

"The meeting with Inuzuka-sama is at four o'clock… sir."

Sasuke didn't even look up at her but recognized her statement with his favourite one-sound-sentence "Hn". Sakura knew a little about the meeting with the Inuzukas. The Inuzuka family ran a chain of animal shelters around the whole country. The older generations of Hyuugas, Uchihas and Inuzukas had known each other for a long time. The Inuzukas had been in a crisis lately which was the reason why the Hyuuga-Uchiha enterprise planned on helping them out financially.

"Sasuke…?" Sakura began carefully. She didn't want to disturb him while working but she didn't know when she'd have a chance to talk to him again. She didn't know if they would ever talk again like last time – she really wished they'd be able to clear this misunderstanding. At the moment, it looked like he'd shut the door to his room the moment they'd arrive at his house. She had the feeling he actually wanted to shut her out from his heart like he was regretting he'd ever 'asked' her to be his bride. Sakura almost threw up at the word 'bride'. It didn't seem to fit her. Not in this situation anyway.

Sasuke growled at her and Sakura couldn't help yelping. She clamped a hand over her mouth but Sasuke rose his head and stared at her. He seemed to realize that he'd scared the shit out of her.

"I'm sorry. I won't bother you again," she said while turning around.

For a second, she hoped he'd stop her and tell her she wasn't bothering him or that he wanted to talk to her about what had happened. Anything would have been fine but the iced silence made her worry even more. He hated her. He really hated her.

Her heart was throbbing painfully against her chest and tears stung in her eyes but she didn't dare let them fall until she was alone.

* * *

Her office wasn't empty, she wasn't alone. When her tears fell, she wanted to slap herself and throw herself in the arms of the person in front of her at the same time.

"Itachi," she said.

She didn't know why she felt like she wanted to jump into his arms and feel his comforting hand on top of her head. She just felt safe.

"You can tell?" He seemed surprised that she knew who he was.

"Yes… I guess so. Well, he _does _look a bit like you. You're family after all." But that wasn't why she'd recognized him when he had been standing with the back towards her. And he knew it too.

When he turned around she stopped wondering how he looked like seconds before she got to see his face. An image had popped into her mind. A young Itachi smiling gently at her and… Sasuke? A headache crept up her temples.

"You're remembering," he declared, pleased.

"I'm not. Why are you here? What about Sasuke?" Sakura stressed.

Itachi looked at her as if he knew so much and she didn't. As if he wanted to tell her everything that was on his mind but couldn't. He looked tired and sad.

"Sasuke. He has grown up finely. When are you to wed? Has he told you he loves you yet?"

Sakura's breath hitched. "What the hell are you talking about? He doesn't love me – it's actually the opposite. And why do you care? I don't even know you." And yet she felt like that was a lie.

She couldn't explain where the anger came from. She was angry with _him _even though she didn't know him.

"What do you mean by 'the opposite'?" he asked as if he wasn't bothered by her anger.

"I _mean _that your brother fucking _threatened _me to marry him even though he actually _despises _me and probably wants to _kill _me for trying to talk to him! And for the record, he hates you too! And he hates me even more for talking to you! Damn it, what is it with you Uchihas!?" she yelled.

The energy left her and she sank down on the floor, trying her hardest not to cry. She really didn't want to, she wanted to stay angry and be strong.

"Please leave."

Itachi clearly wanted to stay and talk to her but no matter how important it was, she wanted to be alone. No matter how desperate she was for someone who'd be there for her and love her. She didn't deserve it after crying and yelling but not letting Itachi help her.

Why did he have to go and say that sentence? Why did he ask her if Sasuke had told her he loved her? He clearly didn't and it hurt but hearing such a question from his older brother had raised her hope and broken her heart at the same time.

"Just leave," she whispered.

As Itachi did what she wished for, promising her that he'd come back for her, every last of her emotions drained out of her.

She couldn't be together with Sasuke. They just weren't meant to be.

* * *

The meetings went by slowly and without as much as a glance from Sasuke. He completely avoided talking to her. She wasn't allowed to talk during meetings, she was just there to make sure Sasuke and his partners had everything they needed and everything was prepared. Then she watched in silence.

Now, sitting in the passenger seat of Sasuke's car like they did every day since they got engaged, Sakura thought about what had happened in the morning. After they had talked at night Sakura had felt rejected and depressed.

They hadn't talked when they'd gone to a bakery and bought breakfast and when they'd driven to the company. She'd thought he just wasn't a morning person and he didn't make small talk anyway, so she'd forgotten about it but in the office… she'd finally realized that something was off about him. About them.

"I'm going grocery shopping. You want anything?" Sakura murmured when they were home.

He went straight to his room as she had predicted. "Hn."

"Right," she said to herself. "You don't need anything. Not even me."

* * *

Sakura was walking to the nearest supermarket when she realized that she'd forgotten her phone. She sighed. She had planned on calling Ino again to hear her cheerful voice and make plans or something.

Ino's on-off-relationship with Shikamaru was going well at the moment and Sakura was glad for that. Shikamaru and Ino were childhood friends – actually they'd been in a relationship since they were born because they had held hands the moment they got to know each other. They were the children of two clan heads who were best friends which was why they'd been together all the time.

Sometimes Sakura was jealous of the love they shared. When they were together, they seemed so content and happy and it was beautiful how they fitted each other. When they weren't together, they stopped talking to each other for a few days until they met again by chance and the next moment, they were all over each other again.

Sakura knew, Ino and Shikamaru were meant to be. And she was jealous that she couldn't have what they had. Why did she have to have a broken heart and they got to be together for the rest of their lives? Why did they get a happy ending and she didn't? Had she done something wrong? Was there something wrong with her? Was it bad for her to be happy?

"Miss, are you okay?"

Sakura looked up and stared into the face of an employee from the supermarket she had already reached.

"Wait. Haruno Sakura?" the man asked with wide shiny eyes and dazzling teeth.

"Yes. And who are you?"

"I'm Rock Lee, don't you remember me?" he asked dejectedly. He obviously knew her but Sakura didn't know who he was and she felt bad for him because he really seemed down.

"I'm sorry, I lost my childhood memories. Did I know you well?"

Sakura smiled at him even though she had to muster all her courage. After all, she'd been crying again just a moment ago.

"I am in love with you. I have been faithful to you all this time. Will you be my girlfriend? I will do my utmost to protect you!"

Sakura laughed heartily. "Thank you. I appreciate that but I…"

Rock Lee smiled at her knowingly. "Your heart is already taken. I understand."

Sakura froze. "How did- Why are you-" She blinked hard to fight back the tears. How could everyone say that like it was the most obvious thing in the world? Why did it still hurt so much after she'd already accepted he'd never love her back? Why was it that love couldn't be switched off? She hated it. And she hated loving him. But she'd hate not loving him even more…

"I have to something to do now. I'm sorry. It was nice meeting you. See you, Lee."

* * *

She stuffed the groceries in the fridge and drawers and sank onto the couch, eventually. There was no energy left in her after having her heart broken several times. Her eyes felt a bit swollen but she didn't want to move right now so she just bore with it.

"You could have taken the car."

Sakura sat up straight and stared at Sasuke who was, once again, leaning on the doorframe. His dark eyes seemed to soften a bit as he glanced at her worn out face but she could've just imagined it. She didn't see clearly, anyway. When she looked straight at him, he was just a blur but when she looked at him from the corner of her eyes, he was clear.

She knew what it meant. It was a sign of migraine. It always came like that before the actual headache and nausea came. Now she just felt a little dizzy. She wanted to take some medicine but she didn't trust her sight anymore and her legs would probably give in.

"You're avoiding me now?" Sasuke asked somehow annoyed. He didn't have the right to in Sakura's eyes.

"Are you kidding me? I was rejected the whole day trying to talk to you and now you're annoyed when I actually don't have anything to say and won't bother you? Do you _want _my attention that _much_?" she snarled back.

Sasuke went into the kitchen without answering her. She lifted the arm from her eyes and searched for him but when he came back, she laid it back again so he wouldn't see her tears. She _tried _to fight them back but it was impossible. She felt the lump in her throat and knew her voice would be gone by now.

"Take that", Sasuke said.

"What? You want to talk about your favourite band?" she scoffed.

Sasuke took her arm and put it beside her on the couch. "No. I want you to take that medicine. Now."

Sakura sat up slowly, looking at him suspiciously. "Why? You decided you don't want to marry me anymore but get rid of me instead?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're getting a migraine, aren't you? Just take it." He shoved the pill into her open mouth and made her drink some water.

"When are you going to tell me why you really put up with me?" she asked but all she got was a glare that said _Never_.

"And the jackass is back, thank you very much," she groaned and leaned back.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Wow, guys, I'm so happy you like this story so much! At first I really had doubts about it but you make me think otherwise what with all those nice comments! Thank you so very much. I love them and I love you! That's why I'll reward you with the next chapter. Originally, I wanted to wait a bit more but I can't hold them from you because you really seem excited about it. Please enjoy the newest chapter because I think it's really getting better chap by chap and it's getting longer, too, I think! Now, have fun! :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The next morning, Sakura stood in the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee and looking extremely embarrassed. The evening before she'd had to put her only comfy pajamas in the washing machine because she'd accidentally stained it with red wine.

Now, when Sasuke had come into the kitchen right after she'd finished making coffee, she had heard him stop dead in his tracks. She'd turned around and seeing him gazing at her figure, she'd just been confused at first.

Sasuke broke his glance away from her and proceeded walking into the kitchen. It was then that Sakura realized what she was wearing. It was a green negligee made out of silk. Her cleavage was lacey and her breast was emphasized. It was really short – it ended just below her bottom.

Suddenly Sakura felt naked. She wished she had thought of changing before going to the kitchen to make breakfast.

It was hard for her to forget about the look that Sasuke had cast her. Even if it had been as cold as ever, he certainly had stared at her longer than what would have been appropriate.

Sasuke still didn't talk to her, she noticed. That was why she had decorated the dining table with a range of different sliced fruit, fresh baked bread, cooked eggs and another range of sausages and cheese. It looked good; she had to praise herself a little.

"Please eat as much as you like. I thought I should at least do something for being a freeloader…," she explained to him while he grabbed the can of coffee from her.

Without saying anything, he took a seat and waited for her to follow. He plated bread with butter, cheese, sausage and pepperoni and took a bite.

Sakura watched him carefully and seemed to forget about everything. So this was what it's like to eat breakfast with Sasuke. The thought warmed her cheeks. It felt like they were a couple – a _real _couple. Well, almost.

Sasuke looked up and stared at her in silence. She blushed and looked away as she realized he'd caught her staring. "It's good. Thanks," he said and cast away his glance from her.

Sakura beamed at him. Maybe everything was going to be alright. Maybe he would trust her again. She began to smile while she watched him again. It felt like time had stopped and she never wanted to finish breakfast.

* * *

On the way to the office, Sakura got a call from her mother asking if they could meet some time that week. At first, Sakura wasn't sure about agreeing but she hadn't seen her parents for a long time and she'd already told herself that her parents would want to know about her new job.

Sakura knew that it was kind of unfair to them that she held back her engagement from them but she really didn't want to deal with the chaos that would certainly come upon her if she told them.

They agreed on meeting on Thursday, two days from today.

Sakura was just about to hang up, when her mother suddenly asked something strange.

_"You remember that blonde kid? He came to visit us yesterday. He asked about you and he seemed to be really desperate to see you. Seems like you were good friends back then… you know, when it happened…"_

Sakura glanced at Sasuke but he seemed to concentrate on driving. "Mom, you know there's no chance I'd know about that. What was his name again? Maybe I can ask Ino about it…"

_"Ah, I think it was Nagato or something? Well, good luck. You could use someone that cheerful once in a while."_

Sakura sighed. Her parents always accused her of having depressions ever since the accident. It wasn't like that really. Everybody told her she'd been a cheerful and shining person before but she'd changed and it couldn't be helped.

"Mom, I'm sorry, alright? It's not like I chose to be like this. Well, I have to go now so bye."

_"Ah, wait, honey. Promise me to go check up in the hospital? I want to know what Tsunade says about your condition."_

"Okay, okay. Just- Ah, I really have to stop now. Bye, mom."

She hung up and put her phone back in her bag. She opened the door but realized that something was off then.

She turned around. Sasuke was gazing at her as if he was lost in thought. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

He blinked and looked at her, puzzled. "Nothing," he said slowly and got off the car.

* * *

Before Sakura could enter her office, Sasuke told her to come with him for a second. Slightly confused, she followed him into his own office where he walked to his desk and opened a drawer.

"I want you to wear this from now on. We will meet the Hyuugas this afternoon and they should have no reason to doubt the engagement," Sasuke informed her while playing with a cute little box.

Sakura noticed how he avoided saying 'their' engagement. "But we have other plans already. What about the meet with-"

"I've already taken care of that. Now take this," he said and shoved the box towards her.

Sakura took it with mixed feelings. She wasn't ready for this but she couldn't await it either. She'd always dreamed of that moment and even if all of it was fake, she couldn't help gaping in awe at the beautiful engagement ring inside the box.

It was a silvery ring exactly her size and a hexagonally diamond was on top of it. It shined brightly at her and somehow the first thought that came to her mind was that it looked like a snowflake.

"That… But… This looks expensive," Sakura finally said.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's my mother's. She'd want me to give it to you."

Sakura was shocked. "What? No, I can't take that! That's not for me, Sasuke, that's for someone you really love!"

She closed the box and shoved it into his hands. "I can't. I _won't _wear that." She was out the door before he could force it on her.

Sakura ran into her office and shut the door behind her. It hurt like hell. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. In her fantasy her 'knight in shining armor' would love her and that's the reason he would give her a very important ring – his mother's ring – and not because he had to prove their engagement.

Sasuke didn't love her. He just cared for his plan and he didn't even realize how much he hurt her. It was so painful for her to be given such a beautiful ring that wasn't meant for her. How could he have done something like that without batting an eye?

Didn't he plan on falling in love and marrying that person for real?

* * *

Sakura fidgeted in her seat as she glanced around the room. It was uncomfortable for her to be stared at like that. She sat beside Sasuke who had introduced her as his fiancée only seconds ago.

She stared at the cheap substitute ring on her finger. After the lunch break, Sasuke had come to her office and said that she should wear 'that thing' for now.

They hadn't talked since and it felt like they were fighting yet again but Sakura was just glad that she didn't have to wear the actual engagement ring.

"So… Miss Haruno, how are your wedding plans going?" someone asked.

Sakura swallowed. Sasuke hadn't said anything about such questions to her. What was she supposed to do now?

"Ah. We will take it slowly. We have not had the chance to begin with preparations yet as we have had family meetings," Sasuke answered.

Sakura backed against her seat as elegantly as she could master. This was just ridiculous. What was she doing here anyway? This was not at all how it was supposed to be.

She stayed because she wanted to help Sasuke but little did she know that she was running into the opened knife. She was so going to have her heart broken but she couldn't stop now, could she? She was his only hope, was she not?

* * *

Sakura prepared dinner while Sasuke was in his bureau. He'd taken her home but he still had something to do so he'd gone back and left her alone. He'd told her that he'd be at home at ten sharp.

When her phone rang, Sakura was in the middle of cutting meat. She washed her hands and wiped it on her apron.

"Yes?"

_"You know, you shouldn't have picked up if you're this loaded."_

"Oh, I'm sorry, Shikamaru. I was just thinking about something and didn't realize- Well, it doesn't matter. What's up?"

_"Have you talked to Ino yesterday?" _Ino's boyfriend asked her carefully.

"Uhm, yeah, I guess I did. Why? Did something happen?" Now Sakura was alerted.

_"Well… How do I put this…? She won't stop crying. I just don't know what to do anymore. She's never been like this before."_

"Oh, my god…" Sakura bit her lip. She knew exactly what was wrong with Ino. "I don't know if I should tell you. She has to be the one…"

Sakura heard Shikamaru sigh on the other side. _"I knew it. She's afraid of something stupid again, right? Like she's eaten all of my favourite food or something, right?"_

His voice told her he was hoping for a simple 'Yes' but the genius she knew was already convinced that it wasn't something trivial like that. He knew exactly that there was something very important on Ino's mind.

"Okay. How about this? Tell her you'll always love her no matter what happens," Sakura suggested.

Shikamaru groaned. _"That's too troublesome. Plan B?"_

Sakura almost laughed at how childish that was. "Boy, you gotta reassure her or she won't tell you. She's just afraid of you leaving her. _Please. _She needs to hear it."

Finally, Shikamaru agreed by muttering another 'troublesome' but Sakura knew that she'd convinced him. Relieved that they would talk it out eventually, Sakura hung up and continued cutting food but this time she didn't think angry thoughts about Sasuke but happy ones about her friends.

* * *

On the stroke of eleven, Sakura had emptied two bottles of white wine. She felt dizzy and exhausted but she kept drinking. Her eyes were empty. She'd been thinking about the Uchiha and by the time it was ten, she had already begun to understand what she'd gotten herself into.

Her heart felt like it had been ripped out her chest and stamped to the ground – several times. Sasuke had forgotten all about her and dinner because, apparently, work was more important than a fake fiancée.

"Asshole," she muttered to herself. The kitchen was too big and too empty for her. She felt small and non-relevant; the kitchen was crushing her down. It was driving her crazy.

Slowly, she pushed away from her chair and stumbled towards the counter. The world turned so she grabbed hold of a chair to steady herself.

The most painful migraine came to haunt her down that moment. She let go of the chair to support her head but the pain was overwhelming her. Next thing she knew, stars began dancing before her eyes and she tried not to scream over the images that flashed through her mind. Then she blacked out.

* * *

"Sakura."

…

"_Sakura._"

…

Slap.

Sakura reared up and looked around wildly. "Ouch," she cursed and massaged her temples. She had a bad headache and somehow she felt nauseous. She remembered drinking two bottles of wine on an empty stomach. Bad decision.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

Not 'Are you okay?' or 'I'm sorry I forgot time'. Just '_what happened?_'. Well, at least he talked to her, right?

"Nothing. I'm fine. Don't bother with me," she snapped. She threw back the covers while realizing he'd put her into bed at the same time.

"Yeah, right. For the record, you've been unconscious for two hours-"

"I was just tired, okay?" she said. "…and drunk," she added as an afterthought.

"So I guess you want to tell me that you tripped and fell asleep on the floor because it was so comfortable?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes. What the hell, Sasuke, it's not like you care. Now let go of my hand and go back to whatever the hell was so important to you that you couldn't just call me to let me know that you're not gonna make it!"

Sasuke seemed taken aback but he put on his poker face the exact next moment. He stood up and left.

Sakura put her arms around her knees and hugged them to her chest. Why was it like this? Every time they talked it seemed to get worse.

* * *

Back in the office, Sakura felt like an insomniac. She'd gone to the hospital in the lunch break but Tsunade, her doctor and ex-mentor, had told her that her condition didn't seem different.

When Sakura had informed Tsunade about the night before, she'd looked thoughtful but reassured Sakura that it wasn't dangerous. "Maybe there is a chance of you retrieving your memories after all," Tsunade had said to her.

Sakura wasn't sure whether she should feel happy about that. Something was lurking in between her memories and she was afraid of getting near to it.

Now she couldn't stop thinking about what Ino had said to her – something about a guy they both knew. Obviously, it was very important for Ino that Sakura found out about it.

Then there was Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, who claimed to know her. And what about Rock Lee and that Nagato guy her mother had mentioned? They were all part of her past. Only that she didn't know if that past had been a good time for her or not.

It's what frightened her the most: Was it worth remembering or would it destroy her?

* * *

Tenten had called to ask if Sakura wanted to come over so they could talk about the recent events. Sakura had accepted immediately. It was lonely at home. Sasuke was at the bureau again so this time she'd decided not to make dinner from the start.

It was about nine when she arrived at Tenten's. She was greeted by the sight of hundreds of crumpled tissues that lay on the floor. The waste paper basket was already overflowing. Wide-eyed, Sakura stepped into the apartment and embraced her friend warmly.

"I'm so sorry. I thought it would go well. I was so sure. I'm so sorry," Sakura murmured.

Tenten shook her head. "No, it's my own fault. I made him angry." She let out a shaky breath.

They sat on the couch, facing each other while sitting cross-legged. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" Sakura broke the silence.

Tenten searched for the right words and Sakura patiently waited. She'd hoped that at least her friend would be successful but now they were sitting here, both their hearts broken and looking as miserable as they felt inside.

"I went to his house. Actually, it's not a house. You could say it's like a villa or something because the whole family lives there. It's tradition or something, I guess. Very old-fashioned people, I tell you," Tenten smiled sadly.

Sakura listened and pictured the house. In her head, it always looked like Sasuke's. Both families were similar in what Tenten had told her so far.

"It's very beautiful. The gardens are so colorful and there are varied flowers and bushes. It's finely decorated. You should go see it sometime when you're going on a business meet at the Hyuuga's. Well, anyway, I rang the doorbell and his cousin opened the door. I remember her from school. She was really nice to me and told me some things about Neji while she walked me to his room…"

Tenten averted her gaze and played with a tissue. She made a long pause before she took a big breath and went on.

"He was tired and exhausted as usual – I think he's going to get bags under his eyes. He just looked at me like I was totally clueless and stupid, like I shouldn't have come there because it's just not my league. I asked if we could talk and then we went to the gardens and I asked him if… if…"

Sakura reached out and took one of Tenten's hand to make her stop fumbling around. Whatever Tenten had said to Neji, it was what had made him angry.

"I asked if… Oh god, Sakura, I'm so stupid. Please, just hit me or something because I deserve it. I'm so damn fucking stupid!"

Sakura couldn't stand it any longer. "Tenten. What. The. Hell. Did. You. Say?"

Tenten looked horrified. "I asked if he thought that his father would be proud of him… destroying himself like that…"

She winced as Sakura's eyes widened slowly. She recalled reading about Neji's father's death in his records. It was Neji's weak point and Tenten had totally stroke home.

"Damn, Tenten, why did you do that? You should have taken it easy on him. I don't know; like 'You have to look after yourself better' or something but what you did just… that's just off limits, girl," Sakura groaned.

"I know, dammit! It _slipped_! He had this damn smug outstaring look on his face that was saying 'You're never going to have me' and I just freaked!" Tenten exclaimed desperately.

Sakura sighed and put a hand on Tenten's because she started shaking again. "You have to fix this. Explain to him that you didn't mean to say that. Make him listen and… if that doesn't work…" Slowly, Sakura started grinning.

Tenten looked suspicious. "Then what?"

"You'll have to kiss him. It's that simple." Sakura really loved the look on her friend's face.

"I can't. He'll totally hate me, he'll be disgusted and he'll fire me!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No, he won't."

Tenten raised her eyebrows. "And why's that?"

Sakura's smile vanished. "Because one of us has got to be lucky and I'm already not the one."

* * *

Sakura was about to open the door to her room when Tenten called her on her cellphone. She'd thought that Tenten was going to do that because after she'd left every ounce of hope left in Tenten had gone with her – she knew that feeling all too well.

"Hey, I know you're unsure and all but this time you switch off your brain and let the actions take over, alright?"

_"Can I ask you a question?"_

"Sure."

_"Do you really believe that he cares about me or are you just saying that because we're friends? Be honest, please."_

"I do believe it. I've seen it but he's hiding it in front of you – I don't know why but maybe he's afraid of love. Afraid _to _love and afraid of _being _loved."

_"And how do you know I love him? Maybe I just have a crush on him."_

"I know because if I'm in love with Sasuke, you're in love with Neji even more."

_"Why do you say you're not the lucky one?"_

"Because I already know that Sasuke doesn't love me. He never will."

_"I say, either both of us get lucky or neither of us. We sure as hell deserve it."_

Sakura thought about it. What if it turned out that she'd done horrible things in the past? "I don't think I do. I might as well get punished for whatever I did in the past."

_"That's not possible. That wouldn't make any sense. Besides, you just have to ask your friend Ino, right? Okay, gotta go. Thanks, Sakura."_

"No problem. Take care."

Sakura hung up and pocketed her phone. She opened the door to her room but she turned around again to get something to drink but when she looked up, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Sasuke leaned on the entrance to the kitchen and watched her. Sakura's breath hitched as she realized what she'd said on the phone about being in love with him.

Her eyes went wide. She really had to ask about her childhood sins because now she really thought she was being punished – but Sasuke overhearing a conversation like that was the worst punishment yet.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Oh my god, guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated those past weeks. I was occupied with my friends since they wanted to go out with me when I came back home. Now I'm in my actual home while I'm studying at the University - ah, stop, I need to stop blabbering. Okay, what I want to say is: I hope you guys won't hate me for this chapter! Actually I didn't plan on SasuSaku's love confessions so fast but it just happened - damn it. It's going fast you think? I'll make up for it and place obstacles in their way, I promise. You'll have enough chapters to read - the story does NOT end yet! There are still many mysteries left unsolved... ENJOY! :)

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Uhm… Sasuke, what are you doing?" Sakura asked nervously. She couldn't bring herself to ask him how much and what exactly he had heard.

"Standing here. Is it forbidden?" He raised his eyebrows and cast her an indefinite glance. Was he trying to figure her out or rather – _her words_?

"N-no, it's your house after all. I mean… How long have you been standing there?" she whispered wide-eyed.

Sasuke pushed himself off the frame and slowly walked into the kitchen. She followed him hesitantly. What answer would he give her? Would he embarrass her because of her unrequited love for him?

"Why does it matter? I just didn't want to interrupt your conversation so I waited for it to end."

Sakura looked confused. "Why? What is it?"

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. "I need you to go through this and make arrangements. You can choose whatever. Anything is fine." He handed her a pile of big books. Wedding cakes, table decorations, wedding dresses…

"Do I really have to? Are you really going to throw all that money away for a fake wedding?"

She didn't want to admit it but at that moment all she longed for was to be able to break this whole thing off. Those beautiful dresses were mesmerizing and she'd wanted to wear one of those and look like a princess since she was little but she didn't want it like _that_. She wanted to be led down the altar to her husband-to-be who she loved with all her heart – and who loved her back. She didn't need any cake or decorations as long as the wedding was _real _and out of _love_… not for any other reason. But she'd already promised him and she'd do anything for Sasuke if it meant he'd stay by her side but was this really right?

"I don't care. I don't want to leave this country no matter how much money I have to pay for that," he told her in his monotone voice. However, when she looked closely she could almost see that he was a little bit edgy. She longed to hear if he had heard her indirect love confession.

"That reminds me. I have a question. Please tell me the truth," Sakura said. She looked down to her fingers playing with each other.

"Aa. What is it?" He turned around and went through a drawer. He took something into his mouth and swallowed it but Sakura couldn't see what it was. Did he have a headache? Was it his lack of sleep?

"You told me that you grew up in this mansion. So why is it exactly that your visa is running out when you've lived here since your birth? Did you lie to me?" Sakura didn't dare look him in the eyes.

A long pause came after that. Slowly Sakura began to believe that he'd lied to her all along. He really was cruel, huh?

"Actually… I didn't grow up here. I grew up in a town called Konoha but I moved here to my parent's house after their accident to take over the company, even though that's not the only reason. Anyway, this mansion was still part of my childhood because my family used to come here a lot. It was like a second home because the whole clan used to gather here." Sasuke looked directly into her eyes. "Are you satisfied now? Do you still accuse me of lying? Go ahead and cancel the wedding – I certainly won't stop you."

Sakura shivered as the coldness of his voice reached her body. Ashamed of herself, Sakura avoided his glance and put her arms around herself. How could she have doubted him so much? It wasn't like her to be so skeptical. It was like she'd turned paranoid…

"I'm sorry, I didn't- I-I won't cancel the wedding but please- Can't we get along again? I don't know what happened to us but I can't handle it anymore…"

"Why are you crying? You should be relieved that you're free to go. All you do is complain about everything. You don't want to wear my mother's ring, you don't want me to waste money on our wedding, you talk to my brother behind my back and you don't even trust my reasons behind all of this. So why don't you just leave me alone if you don't want this?" he growled at her.

Sakura took a step back as he made one towards her. "I don't know. I just can't leave you alone…," she smiled sadly. "It's not like you don't know the reason, Sasuke. You couldn't have missed it but still you don't care. You don't care about my feelings at all or you would have made the pain go away by giving me a proper answer."

Sasuke narrowed his eyebrows. "I don't even know what you're talking about, woman. But don't give me that crap. I never forced you to stay here and I never promised to be considerate."

Sakura smiled as tears fell from her eyes and Sasuke couldn't help but feel the pain of making her cry yet again. Had he not promised not to ever again? Had he not promised to make her happy a very long time ago? He felt miserable and yet he didn't do anything about it. First, she had to remember.

"I know and yet you need me. If I was able to leave on my own will, maybe you'd treat me better but you already know I can't, right?"

"And why can't you?"

His eyes were of such beautiful deep black that she wanted to drown in them and never face reality again.

"Because I…"

She wanted to put an end to this. She wanted to tell him those three words which she longed for him to say to her. She wanted him to know so she could finally let him go. But she didn't want to let go. Not just yet.

"Because I've yet to remember who you are to me."

* * *

Sasuke had stood frozen in front of her while gazing at her face. She hadn't been sure before about Itachi's words but now she was certain that Sasuke was part of her childhood. He was hidden inside those long forgotten memories alongside other people.

Now she was lying in her bed, arms crossed behind her head, staring at the ceiling. She was trying to remember but every time she felt something stir inside her, her grasp made it go away.

It felt similar to a word that was on the tip of her tongue. It was frustrating – she had to find out what had happened in the past. At first she hadn't wanted to remember but now that she knew Sasuke was part of it, she just had to.

* * *

"Hi, Ino. I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" She'd heard Shikamaru's annoyed voice.

_"No, it's fine. I'm guessing you calling me so shortly after last time has something to do with your memories. Have you made a decision?"_

Sakura smiled at how well her best friend knew her. "Yeah. I need to find out about it as soon as possible. Please… help me out?"

_"Do you even need to ask? Of course I will."_

"Thank you. Let's start with… hm, what was his name again. Nagato? Do you know him?"

_"Nagato? Distantly. But that's not who you mean. The one who is important is called_ Naruto."

"Naruto… Naruto, Naruto, Naruto… There's something familiar about him. Who is he?"

_"Let's try something out. Close your eyes. Now, think only of the name Naruto. You see anything?"_

Sakura heard distant laughter. It was extremely cheerful und carefree. It was contagious. "Yellow… sun… and blue… like a deep ocean, it's beautiful… I want to go deeper… ahhh," Sakura let out a scream as a stabbing pain went through her head.

_"Sakura! Everything okay?! Stop thinking, it's alright, it's enough already."_

"It's enough? What does yellow and blue mean? I only saw colors. That doesn't explain anything… God, it's so frustrating!"

_"I said it's enough because it actually means something. Naruto has blonde hair and blue eyes. Don't you see? It's all there – you just have to be patient. A little training every day and you'll get back all of it, I'm sure. You're doing great," Ino promised._

"Okay. One more," Sakura said determinedly.

_"No, honey, you can't. It'll hurt too much. You're too fragile!"_

"I'll be fine. I want to. I _need _to know something. Please help me." Sakura closed her eyes again and took deep breaths. Then she let her heart and mind wander towards Sasuke. In her mind he stood before her, looking at her softly. The pain came abruptly. It shot through her head like a lightning strike. She coughed and grasped for air but somehow her lungs burned and wouldn't let her breathe. "Black… it's all… black and white… Air… Ino…"

_"Sakura? Sakura! Answer me, Sakura! Damn it, Shikamaru, what should we do?! Help me, oh my god, she can't breathe! What? Are you sure? You mean… Sasuke?"_

* * *

In her mind, Sasuke's expression turned from soft to longing. He approached her, looking desperate as if he needed her right now. She gasped in surprise when his lips touched hers. The kiss was soft at first but it got hungrier and passionately each second. "Sasuke," she breathed as if in agony and yearning at the same time. "Why won't you love me?"

"What?"

Sakura's eyes flattered open and looked directly into Sasuke's. She still felt the kiss on her lips and she desperately wanted to go back to that dream. "Sasuke… Why are you on top of me and why are you touching my breast?"

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, not even the slightest embarrassed. "Are you serious?"

Sakura felt confused. "I am. Did you, by chance, kiss me?"

Sasuke sighed and let go of her. "I was giving you CPR but if it disturbs you that much that I kissed you I probably should have left you to die."

Sakura sat up. "You… You wouldn't have."

"You sure about that? Because you're giving me nothing but trouble."

They looked at each other challengingly but then Sakura remembered what she'd done before. "Black and white," she whispered.

"Hn?" Sasuke asked but she didn't seem to hear him.

"How did you know I was in danger?" she asked as if in trance.

"I heard you scream… well, it was coincidence that I passed your bedroom. Lucky, I guess."

Sakura knew he was lying. She didn't know how but she could feel that he couldn't quite compose himself. He looked shaken up and wasn't able to keep up his non-caring appearance. Maybe that was why his lie was so obvious.

"I should call Ino. I was on the phone with her when it happened. Can you… can you give us some privacy please?"

Sasuke stared at her for a moment but then shook his head. "I won't. I have to make sure you're alright first. And after that call we'll go to the hospital."

Sakura sighed and wanted to object but she knew it wouldn't change anything. Sasuke seemed determined.

She dialed Ino's phone number.

_"Oh my god, Sakura, I was so scared! What happened to you? How do you feel now?" _

"I'm fine again. Hey, I need to ask you something. What does black and white mean to me? Mainly black, though."

_"I… I don't know. That could be anything, I guess." _Sakura could hear Ino swallow. She imagined her sitting next to Shikamaru, casting her boyfriend a meaningful glance.

"Then I have another question: Why is everybody lying to me?" Sakura felt tears sting in her eyes as her heart felt the betrayal. Probably every single person around her knew everything but nobody told her anything. All they did was lie.

_"Sakura, no, I'm sorry-"_

"Yeah, me too, Ino."

She hung up without letting her friend say anything more. Then she turned her phone off and looked at Sasuke, narrowing her eyes.

"You should have told me that you know Ino. After all, she's the one who called you so you'd help me after I broke down, am I right?"

Sasuke stayed silent, contemplating on what to say next.

"I don't know what I did to deserve all of this – a fake engagement including constant fighting with you and friends who lie to me - _You _lying to me. I don't remember what I've done but I'm sorry, alright? I'm trying to be a good person. I'm willing to marry you, aren't I? What did I ever do to fall in love with the wrong person? And Ino knew all along… Why? I don't understand any of this, I feel so… cheated…"

"Sakura, stop rambling. What do you mean by you don't know what you've done? You didn't do anything-"

"I did or I wouldn't be punished by all of you. Just tell me why you hate me so much. It all lies in the past, doesn't it? But I don't know what happened because I can't remember so please just tell me and get it over with. I want to at least understand why you hate me…"

Sakura felt Sasuke's hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears and caressing her face. He let it rest there even after he'd finished and it felt like an intimate moment. She wanted to savor every second of it because she feared that it would stop as soon as it began – but it didn't.

"I don't know what's going on inside you but you didn't do anything. It's true – I know Yamanaka and I _knew _you but that was a long time ago. I can't tell you because you have to remember yourself. After all, _I _am the one who hurt you. _I _did everything wrong."

Sakura didn't want to open her eyes because she didn't want Sasuke to stop touching her but at the same time she wanted to see his face. It felt like he'd look like he was in pain. She searched for his hand and took it in hers.

"Please tell me…"

"If I do, you'll hate me. Well, you'll hate me either way. You'll find out yourself and then you'll tell me to break off the engagement."

Sakura touched the hand on her cheek. She liked the feel of his hands – she liked everything about him even if she didn't understand all of him.

"You're hurt. Why?"

"That doesn't matter. Why are you still with me when you already fell in love?" His voice was quiet.

"What?" Sakura opened her eyes in confusion. "I thought you knew-"

"You were rambling and you were angry. You didn't even ask for my opinion. So no, I don't know who it is." Sasuke looked out the window and gazed at the sky.

"That… Oh… I… You didn't listen in on my conversation with Ino?" Suddenly she felt embarrassed about her behavior.

"I didn't. That's impolite."

Sakura's cheeks flushed. She had thrown a tantrum without him knowing what that was about. She'd thought he knew that she was in love with him but didn't care. She'd accused him of being a total heartless jackass.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I said all those things. It was a misunderstanding on my behalf…"

"So who is it then? Is he taken? Why are you still with me?"

Sakura thought he sounded like a lonely child. It was heartbreaking. "He's… already engaged."

"To whom? Do I know him?"

More loneliness. Could it be?

"I guess… He's engaged to me," she whispered sadly. "A blessing in disguise, huh?"

His eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Because you don't love me, right?"

Sasuke was frozen. "You… love me?"

Sakura looked away. It was painful. "Do you have to rub it in? Yes, I'm in love with you and it's clear you don't love me back so just… let it go."

"How could I?" He tugged at her hand so she fell into his arms. "And for the record… I _do._"

He grabbed her chin softly and pressed his lips on her mouth. It felt even better than in her dream.

* * *

Sakura was crying. It felt too good to be true. Sasuke claiming he loved her, Sasuke kissing her. He laid her gently on the bed, then he was on top of her, still kissing her like there was no tomorrow. His hand was caressing her face, stroking her neck, wandering down her arm and igniting fire everywhere he touched.

Somebody cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt."

They groaned in protest. Sasuke gazed into Sakura's eyes, telling her they'd talk later about their past and his mean boss-like behavior he'd put on at the beginning. She smiled hesitantly, still hoping this wasn't a dream where he'd suddenly pretend that there had never been something like this between them. Sasuke recognized the doubt in her facial expression. To assure her, he pressed his lips once more against hers, then entangled from her so he could stand up and face… his brother.

"I should call the police, you picklock," Sasuke growled. He helped Sakura stand up. "I guess the one you want to see is her and not me. Go ahead, tell her. I won't stop you."

Itachi stared at his brother in this big-brother way. "You want me to destroy your new found happiness the second you got it? You still are foolish, little brother."

Sakura felt uncomfortable. It was like they were talking through the exchanged stares and she felt left out. "Itachi… You're part of it, too. You wanted to tell me last time but… Sasuke doesn't."

Itachi sighed. "I see. You know at least that much. I suppose we need to talk. You might want to sit down."

Sasuke was holding back the anger he held for his brother, Sakura felt it. Maybe she could find out why these two hated each other.

* * *

It was like the intimate moment had totally vanished – not only from outside but inside, too. Sasuke didn't act as if they were lovers and she didn't feel very much of her love for Sasuke right now. All she could think of was her past.

"You might already know this but I am in contact with Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi. They were not very keen on seeing me either. Nevertheless, I have told them about Sakura and her situation – both of them want to meet her as soon as allowed. I should warn you, though, that they have made it very clear that… well, they are not very fond of you right now."

Sasuke groaned. "What? You want to tell me that they want to kill me? Because I've kept it from them that I'm with Sakura? They should get over their jealousy already. Way too overprotective," he rolled his eyes.

"Who are they? Why haven't I ever met any of you guys until now? What's going on here?" Sakura felt nervous and aghast.

"Naruto was one of your closer friends back then. Kakashi was our teacher and we all were close, I guess," Sasuke told her. "It's hard to explain what happened but you'll find out soon, I promise."

Itachi looked at her curiously. "I should have come sooner. My little brother's plan to marry you in order for you to regain your memories… Sasuke, you know that plan absolutely sucks, right? I cannot even begin to understand how you came up with that. You ought to think I raised you to be more intelligent."

Sasuke glared at his brother for mocking him.

"This was your plan? For my memories? Well, sorry, Sasuke, this plan really sucks…," Sakura laughed.

"This wasn't my plan originally. I had to protect you. What's better than having you work at my company and moving into my house?"

"Protect me? From what?" Slowly, Sakura got exhausted. Every time they told her something, more questions came up.

"You're tired. You can't learn too much all of a sudden or you'll break down again. Your brain needs to work slow and constant."

Sakura knew it was the truth but she couldn't wait to hear the whole story. At least she had Sasuke at her side and he wouldn't leave her, right?

"I'll take her to bed. Wait here," Sasuke said to Itachi who nodded.

Sasuke took Sakura's hand and led her to his room. She looked confused.

"It's because of the past. You told me you could sleep better in my bed. Do you want to sleep in your own?"

She shook her head. "No, I want to sleep here. Will you stay until I've fallen asleep?"

The question was innocent, she was afraid to be left alone but she still felt embarrassed. It would take some time to get used to this.

Sasuke laid beside her and put a blanket on them, then took Sakura in his arms. Her head rested on his chest and she could hear his heartbeat and steady breathing.

"I loved you back then, didn't I?" she whispered suddenly.

Sasuke hummed a yes to that. "Did I love you, too?" he guessed her next question. "I always did but I was too blind and I hurt you."

"If I learn the past, it'll hurt you all over again but I don't have to. We can live like this. I only need you," she said to him.

He hummed again. "That would be too easy. I don't deserve that. I don't deserve _right now_ but I don't want to hurt you either. I'll wait for you to remember so you understand why we can't be together."

"We can't? Then why did you find me?"

"Because I wanted you to remember your friends. It's for Naruto and Kakashi – they weren't allowed to get in touch with you, I wasn't either. They said it could make your situation worse but I owe them. I owe you happiness and you have to get over your past in order to achieve that. You can only do that if you know what happened. Your brain blocked it out to protect yourself but it'll always be a lingering shadow. You're not as cheerful as you were that time. It was locked away alongside your friends and me."

"Whatever happened, I could never be without you, Sasuke. It's alright, I'm not capable of hating you. I've always loved you. It was there when I was your secretary – I always felt that way about you but I didn't know what it was. Now I know."

Sasuke didn't answer. He knew better than to believe her innocent words. As soon as she found out, she'd shut him out and push him away.

* * *

"You should take her to the hospital. Tsunade should take care of Sakura," Itachi told his brother when he came back.

"I know. You don't have to tell me that. But she needs to rest. The hospital will make her feel stressed and she hasn't slept well this past week."

Itachi stood up and went for the door but he turned around when Sasuke's hand grabbed his shoulder. "Why did you come back? For her? Or is it because you like making my life a living hell?"

Itachi's mouth quirked up on one side. "I have never done anything for myself, little brother, much less for my entertainment. You have yet to understand my reasons. My days will be long gone when the time has come for you to find the truth."


End file.
